THE BEE. 
5*9 
pofe, that boats flored with hives were fet afloat on the 
Nile, gradually bringing the in feet s within the reach of 
frefli food as the old was exhaufted. A fimilar method 
was fome time ago praftifed in France by a perfon who 
had fix or feven hundred hives in his pofieffion f. 
Such are the outlines of the hiftory of the domeflic 
bee, an infect to which we are indebted for two material 
articles of our enjoyment, wax and honey. The genus 
of infects to which it belongs is diftinguiihed into fifty- 
five different fpeeies, all differing in their manners, as 
well as their external form. Their common characters, 
in which they all agree, are, a mouth furniflied with jaws 
and a probofeis, inclining towards the body, and inclofed 
in a fheath ; wings which are extended, and without 
folds ; three flemmata on the head, and flings carried in 
the other extremity by neuters. 
Apis rnellifica, the domeflic neuter bee. This animal 
is fo generally known, that no defeription of its parts is 
siecefl’ary. 
Apis mas, the male bee. This fpeeies has no fling, 
nor are its feet or roftrum fitted for the colleftion of wax 
or honey : it is larger than the common working bee : it 
hovers upon flowers ; and its only office is impregnating 
the female. 
Apis regina, the queen bee. This animal is eafily di- 
flinguifhed by her great length of body, and the fliortnefs 
of her wings, which fhe never ufes but when employed 
in leading out a young fwarm. 
Apis mufeorum, the humming bee X • The three for- 
mer infecls, as they breed together, may all be deemed of 
the 
f Reaumur, Tome V. Pref. p. 40. 
\ Syft. Nat. Ord, V. Gen. viii. fp, 4S. 
