POLLEN. 
81 
supplies were often found in hives whose inmates had 
starved, it was evident that, without honey, it could not 
support the mature bees; and this led former observers 
to conclude that it served for the building of comb. Hu¬ 
ber, after demonstrating that wax can be secreted from 
an entirely different substance, soon ascertained that pollen 
was used for the nourishment of the embryo bees. Con¬ 
fining some bees to their hive without any pollen, he sup¬ 
plied them with honey, eggs, and larvae. In a short time, 
the young all perished. A fresh supply of brood being 
given to them, with an ample allowance of pollen, the 
development of the larvae proceeded in the natural way. 
I had an excellent opportunity of testing the value of 
this substance, in the backward Spring of 1852. On the 
5 th of February, I opened a hive containing an artificial 
swarm of the previous year, and found many ol the cells 
filled with brood. The combs being examined on the 
23d, contained neither eggs, brood, nor bee-bread; and 
the colony was supplied with pollen from another hive; 
the next day, a large number of eggs were found in the 
cells. When this supply was exhausted, laying again 
ceased, and was only resumed when more was furnished. 
During the time of these experiments, the weather was so 
unpromising, that the bees were unable to leave the hive. 
Dzierzon is of opinion that bees can furnish food for 
their young, without pollen; although he admits that they 
can do it only for a short time, and at a great expense of 
vital energy; just as the strength of an animal nursing its 
young is rapidly reduced, it, for want of propel tood, tlu 
very substance of the mother’s body must be converted 
into milk. The experiment just described does not cor¬ 
roborate this theory, but confirms Huber’s view, that 
pollen is indispensable to the development of brood. 
Gundelacb, an able German Apiarian, says that if a 
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