PROPOLIS. 
131 
piece obtained is immediately applied to their work, 
and the bee is ready to supply another with a portion ; 
it doubtless gets rid of its load in this way ; it is diffi- 
cult to watch it till it is freed from the whole, as it is 
soon lost among its fellows. Now if this substance is 
not found in its natural state, how does it happen that 
they pack it on their legs just as they do when getting 
it from a board of an old hive, or pollen, when col- 
lected ? they never take the trouble to pack the wax 
there, when elaborated. Do not these circumstances 
strongly favor the idea of its being a vegetable sub- 
stance ? Perhaps the reason of its being collected at 
this season in greater abundance, may be found in the 
fact, that the buds of trees and shrubs are now gener- 
ally formed. Many kinds are protected from rain and 
frost, by a kind of gum or resinous coating. It may 
be found in many species of Populus, particularly the 
balsam poplar, ( Populus Balsamifera) and the Balm 
of Gilead, (. Populus Ccindicans). By boiling the buds 
of these trees, an aromatic resin or gum may be ob- 
tained, (used sometimes for making salve ;) the odor 
is very similar to that emitted by propolis, when first 
gathered by the bees, or by heating it afterwards. In 
the absence of facts, we are apt to substitute theory. 
This appears to me to be very plausible. Yet I am 
ready to yield it as soon as facts decide differently. 
Perhaps not one bee in a thousand is engaged in col- 
lecting this substance — there being so few may be one 
reason why they are not often detected, yet few as 
they are, if a few of us should set about close obser- 
vation, something certain might decide. Apiarian 
