54 
HYMENOPTERA, 
(which has gained them the name of carding bees) 
then, by the help of her feet, flie drives the unra¬ 
velled mofs under her belly; the fecond, in like 
manner, paffes it on to the third. Thus there is 
formed an uninterrupted chain of mofs, which is 
wrought and interwoven with the greatefl dexterity 
by thofe that abide by the neft ; and that their neft 
may not be the fport of the winds, and may fhelter 
them from rain, they throw an arch over it, which 
they compofe with a kind of wax, tenacious, though 
thin in fubftance, which is neither the unwrought 
bees'-wax, nor the real wax. Diffolved in oil of 
turpentine, it may be ufed in taking off impreflions.” 
Wax-moths, the larva of a fly of the hornet kind, 
field-mice, pole-cats, and ants, plunder the little 
veflels of honey, the ftore of thefe induftrious bees# 
Apis Mellijica , Honey Bee . 
One female is at once the mother and the fovereisn 
O 
of the hi ve. 
The neuter bees amount to the number of 16000 
or 18000. They form the cakes of wax, collect the 
bee-glue, honey, and unwrought wax : thefe bees 
are armed with a fling. The males, called drones , are 
killed in September by the working bees. Thefe 
collet from flowers their honey and unwrought wax, 
they roll themfelves, over the ftamina, the dufl of 
which adheres to their hairs, and bringing over their 
bodies their feet, armed with little brufhes, fill with 
the 
