rho NATURAL HISTORY. 
éf dough, which is next moulded into cakes of an ad- 
mirable itructure. : 
From the nettarious efluvia of flowers, the bee 
collects the honey, by means of its probofeis, or 
trunk ; which is a moft aftonifhing piece of mechan- 
ifm, confifting of more than twenty parts. Entering 
the hive, the infeét difporges the honey into cells, 
tor winter fubfiftence ; or elfe prefents it to the la- 
‘bouring bees. A bee can collect, in one day, more 
honey than a hundred chemifts could extract in a 
hundred years. | 
_. When they begin to form their hive, they divide — 
into four parties: One is deputed to the fields, to col- 
yeét materials; another is ordered to work on thefe 
materials ; a third is Jeft to polifh the rough work 
of the cells, and a fourth-is allotted to provide for the 
abourers. ihere are waiters always attending, to 
ferve the artizan with immediate refrefhments, left he 
thould be too. long abfent from his work, by going to 
gather it himfelf. ' 
So expert are thefe bees, that an honey comb, com- 
pofed of a double range of cells backed one againift 
another, and which is a foot long, and fix inches 
broad, 1s completed in one day, fo as to contain 3000 
bees. The cells are moft curioufly compofed of little 
triangular fides. which unite in one point, and exaétly 
conform tothe like extremities of the oppofite cells, | 
refpectively. Atevery cell, the Creator has, moft 
wifely, taught them to form a ledge, which fortifies 
‘each aperture againft the injuries they might receive 
trom the frequent ingreisand return of the bees. 
How grateful ought we to be for the creation of — 
this admirable infect! To his toil and wifdom we are 
indebted for one of the moft agreeable and wholefome 
fubftances afforded, by nature. Were it not for the 
bee, thefe flowery fweets would be loftin *‘the defert 
air,’’ or decline witn the tading flower. All-the va- 
rious ufes to which wax is applied, would be loft te 
man, had not the bee an exiftence. . . 
