, 
2. THE HISTORY OF BEES. 
. 
They are inceffant, as well as abundant herein, defitt 
‘not, nor require a writ of eafe, while ability lafts, and 
the feafon permits and encourages, oftentimes venturing 
abroad with their wings rent and tore, in manifeft hazard 
of their lives, and never return. 
Though their labours are but of little more duration 
than fix months in the year, yet they may juftly be ac- 
counted the moft induftrious creatures upon earth-; the 
difcontinuance of their labours for fo long a feafon being 
owing not to their natural temper, but only to their want 
of opportunity. They begin to work as early as the 
flowers appear, to furnifh them with fuitable and netef- 
fary materials, and they defift not till thefe ceafe. 
‘ And ina honey-dew, i in what a furpr:zing mannerdo 
they beftir themfelves! employing all the forces that can 
be fpared abroad, when every Bee returns with its 
load, adding to the publick treafure, with all poffible 
diligence and earneftnefs laying in fufficient ftore againft 
a {pending time they forefee approaching. “The Winter 
is long, their enemies are numerous, and many months 
they want meat, the utmoft efforts are therefore necef- 
fary to prevent an univerfal ruin and deftrudtiion. They 
moft earneftly ftrive; it is for their life. 
And if they are late fwarms, and the weather alfo dif- 
couraging, (as the end of the laft Summer) the greateft 
diligence poffible may he infufficient to preferve them. 
Scarce one in ten of the Jaft year’s fwarms, which came 
Jate, could ftand. : : | 
J have not above three left out of twenty-four. The 
gontinued and exceflive rains, which damaged the corn, 
; 
either 
