STORING POLLEN AND HONEY. 
71 
taking and devouring a small piece of the produce. 
If others do not come to their aid, they do this 
three or four times, till the whole is disposed of. 
When more pollen is collected than is wanted at 
once, it is stored up in some of the empty cells. 
The laden bee puts its two hind legs into the cell, 
and with the middle pair pushes off the pellets. 
When this is done, this one, or if too much fa- 
tigued another, enters the cell with its head first, 
and remains there sometime. Its employment is 
to dilute the pellets, knead them, and pack them 
close. A large portion of the cells of some combs 
is filled with this bee-bread. Everywhere it is 
ready for use. 
Flowers lose nothing of their beauty or fragrance 
from the gleanings of the bee, but, on the contrary, 
the pollen being shaken down by the bee and 
borne from blossom to blossom, it is found that 
her visits contribute to the fertility of the plant. 
Pluck a clover-blossom. Pull out one of its long, 
slender flowers, and suck from the little tube the 
rich juice. This is honey, sweet, delicious honey ; 
the very article for which we value the bee so 
highly. It was a common and a valued article of 
