70 
THE HIVE AND IIONEY-BEE. 
being taken from them, and the bees supplied ■nnth honey 
and water, new combs were again constructed. Seven 
times in succession their combs were removed, and wei’o 
in eacli instance replaced, the bees being all the time pre¬ 
vented from ranging the fields to supply themselves with 
bee-bread. By sub.sequent experiments, he proved that 
sugar-syrup answered the same end with honey. Giving 
an imprisoned swarm an abundance of fruit and bee-bread, 
he found that they subsisted on the fruit, but refused to 
touch the pollen ; and that no combs were constructed, 
nor any wa.x-scales formed in their pouches. 
N otwithstanding Huber’s extreme caution and unwearied 
patience in conducting these experiments, he did not dis¬ 
cover the whole truth on this important subject. Though 
he demonstrated that bees can construct comb from honey 
or sugai-, without the aid of bee-bread, and that they can¬ 
not make it from bee-bread, without honey or sugar, he 
did not prove that when permanently deprived of bee- 
bread they can continue to work in wax, or if they can, 
that the pollen does not aid in its elaboration. 
, Some bee-bread is always found in the stomach of wax- 
producing workers, and they never build comb so rapidly 
as when they have free access to this article. 1^ must, 
therefore, cither furnish some of the elements of wax, or 
in some way assist the bee in producing it. Fiirther 
investigations are nccessaiy, before wc can arrive at ])C‘r- 
fectly accurate results. Confident .assertions arc easily 
made, reqtiiring onl)' a little breath, or a few drops of ink ; 
.and those who like them best have often the profoundesl 
contempt for observation and ex))eriment. To establish 
any controverted truth on the solid foundation of demon¬ 
strated facts, usually requires severe and protracted labor. 
Honey and sugar contain by weight about eight pounds 
of oxygen to one of carbon and hydiogcu. When con- 
