The HISTORY of IN3 ROT S 
laid together as it were into ftrata or beds, 
like Herrings or other merchandize put with 
great art into a barrel, which are by degrees 
and at different times heaped upon one ano- 
ther. This matter I found on examination 
was granulated, and tafted fomewhat fweet. 
Some of the cells containing it were fealed up, 
and others open and only half full: others 
were fcarce begun filliag, and in others again — 
began todecay. This fubftance is called by 
the Bee-keepers the bread or food of the Bees, 
wherewith they are faid to cure themfelves 
when they have a flux. But as credulity is 
often the parent of error, doubting about the 
truth of that received opinion, I have by vari- 
ous methods fearched into and examined this 
fubftance : for it feemed to be rather the rudi- 
ment of wax: I have therefore firft thrown 
it into water, in which it was quickly broken 
and difperfed, but it always remained in grains: 
this likewife happened when J put it on my 
tongue. If it be put on a piece of thin elafs, 
and placed on a red hot coal covered with 
afhes, I have obferved that by degrees it 
wafted, grew dry, hardened, and at laft be- 
come black. Nor does it ever melt when 
thus placed on the fire; nay, if it be thrown 
naked into the fire, or applied to a burning 
candle, it never burns. From thefe experi+ 
ments it feemed to me not at all to con- 
fift of the matter of fat, for the fake of ex- 
amining which I had begun them, efpecially 
fince I obferved, that it was very like that 
fubftance which the Bees conftantly carry 
home, and is fixed on the fifth joint of their 
hinder legs, and which is taken for wax by 
all the Bee-keepers. Upon examining this 
matter which the Bees carry on their legs, I 
difcovered that it is abfolutely the medicinal 
bread of the Bees. Hence it came to pats, 
that I could fcarce perfuade myfelf that the 
‘Bees carry the wax perfect out of the fields 
without any previous preparation ; as I cannot 
be hitherto brought to believe any thing like it 
of honey, being rather of opinion that this is 
transformed into a better united and thicker 
liquid, by digeftion in the ftomach of the 
Bees: though it may, however, be poffible 
that in the fruitful and hotter fummers, the 
Bees may collect the honey as they find. it 
prepared by nature in flowers into the cavity 
of their trunk: as the trunk is full of irregu- 
lar parts, and as it were fet or planted with 
glandules; hence it follows that the honey 
may likewife fuffer fome change in it. As 
to the wax I do not doubt but it is pre-- 
pared by the Bees. However this matter 
may be, when I afterwards laid thefe doubts 
before the moft intelligent Bee-keepers, they 
were all unanimoufly obliged to allow that 
no difference could be obferved between 
the bread or food of Bees and the wax, 
i6i 
which the Bees had carried freth into thei: 
hives *,. | 
I therefore mixed this bread; a8 it is called; 
with honey, in order to fee whether I could 
gather any thing from thence, but the event 
of the experiment taught me that I had laid, 
too great ftrefs on theory. In the beginning, 
indeed, when it is firft mixed, it becomes a 
very clammy and glutinous mafs ; and it runs 
more thin than the honey did before, and be- 
comes ftill more foft when expofed to the fire : 
but when it fuftains the force of the fire a 
little longer, it foon difcovers its former na- 
ture. It likewife breaks in water, nor does 
it much recede from its former nature or dif- 
pofition. — 
From that experiment I am inclined to be- 
lieve that this is the fubftance from which the 
Bees prepare their wax. But I think they do 
this bufine/s by the help of their faliva or of 
the execrated and digefted honey. And hence 
though what is commonly faid may probably 
be true, that Bees ufe this matter as a medi- 
cine; yet I do not doubt but they gather it in 
the time of plenty, that when {carcity comes, 
or when wet and cloudy weather approaches, 
or when they cannot from any other caufe fly 
out of the hives, they may take their time to 
perfect it. Any one may know by an eafy 
experiment whether this matter be fo. The 
Bees therefore feem to behave with refpect to 
this, in the fame manner as they ufually do 
in regard to honey, of which they gather more 
than they have immediate occafion for, that 
they may live thereon in the time of neceffity. 
This abundant quantity amounts to fometimes 
thirty, forty, fifty, or fixty pounds. Nay, 
their zeal and earneftnefs to gather honey 
urges them fo far, that they fometimes throw 
their ftock or young ont of the hives and il 
the emptied cells with honey: but I thould 
think there is fome other reafon for this act, 
which yet remains to be confidered and dif- 
covered, 
I think that the Bees probably gather this 
matter in order to form and perfe& it into 
wax in the times of fcarcity, to cover up the 
little cells of the combs therewith, and to 
faften it on the webs of the {pinning Worms. 
This I fhall afterwards explain more at large. 
Tam likewife inclined to think that this mat- 
ter ferves alfo to clofe up the door or ‘opening 
of the hive when winter approaches, or at 
leaft to make it narrower by way of defence 
againft the inclemency of the cold: unle{s one 
fhould think it more probable that they {epa- 
rate the matter they ufe for this purpofe from 
the reft of the wax, or gather this peculiar 
glue from beech and poplar trees; with which, 
as the Bee-keepers fay; they afterwards not 
only make the door or opening narrower, but 
alfo cover all the lower part of theshive itfelf, 
_ . = The French give with great propriety the name Bees-bread, Pain des Abeiles, to the farina or dufty fubftance lodged in 
the antheree of flowers. It is certain that they eat this, and that it is afterwards converted into wax in their ftomachs, for they 
collect vaft quantities of it when they have no combs to make, and ufe it merely as food. 
Tt and 
