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scales may be*found on the bottom board of a hive, a 
short time after a new swarm is put in, appearing to the 
casual observer a whitish dust. 
When building their combs upon the glass walls of a 
hive (which is sometimes done,) the bees may be seen 
reaching their fore legs or arms back under the abdo- 
men; at the same time the bind legs are brought forward 
as if in the act of scraping themselves ; then placing 
their feet or hands to their mouths, giving them a rotary 
motion, as if kneading something with their mouths 
and hands ; then placing the mouth to the edge of the 
cell already in construction, and lifting the head up as 
if trying to extend the edge of the cell ; during these 
efforts with the head, the edges of the cell are contin- 
ually manipulated with the fore feet. These motions 
are continued for a short time, when it will be seen that 
the cell has already increased in depth. Wax may be 
elaborated from all saccharine substances, that bees will 
live upon. It varies in color from a dark yellow to 
almost a pure white. For marketing purposes, a bright 
yellow commands the highest price, this being consid- 
ered the standard color — that which is darker being 
considered of an inferior quality ; while pure white 
wax, is only obtained by bleaching, which of course 
enhances the market value of it. Wax may be con- 
sidered one of those productions of which nature 
abounds, but only deals out to man through her own 
peculiar channels. 
Some varieties of trees, such as baberry or wax 
myrtle ( myrica cerifera latifalia,) of Connecticut, New 
Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, yield wax from 
their berries quite abundantly, but of an inferior quality. 
The finest wax is treasured in the floral world, the 
