162 
and plank it, and make a regular margin or 
border on the infide*. The bread of the 
Bees appears therefore, in the opinion of the 
Bee-keepers, to be fomewhat different from 
the wax; but in my opinion it is the very 
matter or fubftance of the wax itfelf, not yet 
prepared. In order to view and inveftigate the 
ftructure of the Bee-bread, nothing is more 
proper than to make ufe of a microfcope in 
the manner following: the Bee-bread is to be 
put into a glafs full of clear water, and then 
fhaken a little, in order to feparate it into a 
fine duft; and when this does not fucceed 
quick enough, it may be accelerated by break- 
ing it with a {mall fine pencil. This duft is 
afterwards to be put upon a very thin piece of 
glafs, as near as poffible to the flame of a 
lamp; then the glafs is by a little ftarch to 
be faftened to a {mall piece of cork, which 
is afterwards to be fixed on the point of a 
needle and put under the microfcope. Thus 
it will be found that the Bee-bread confifts 
only of fine globules of equal form and mag- 
nitude ; they have commonly three or four 
corners, but they are often alfo round: this 
angulated figure may probably be owing to 
the folidity and compadétnefs of thofe little 
parts, which the Bees bring them into with 
their teeth: between thefe little parts are 
found fome yet more minute ones. But 
though the particles of which that bread con- 
fits are very fine and delicate,’ yet one may, 
not the lefs manifeftly, perceive them upon 
the tongue ; for when this Bee-bread is tafted 
or chewed, it feels like a fine fand in the 
mouth, or as fugar undiffolved, or divided 
only into little grains or angular little cryftals. 
Moreover, when that bread breaks to pieces in 
water, it never diflolves; but the parts con- 
ftantly retain their former figures, and are only 
feparated and parted from each other. But 
whether thefe globules, when worked into 
wax, are ground, chewed or broken with the 
Bee’s two teeth, and mixed with the faliva; or 
whether they are mixed with the fat or poifon- 
ous liquor of the Bee’s fting, in order for form- 
ing the wax, isa matter which ftill’ remains 
to be inveftigated. 
It is wonderful that the fat both of men 
and beafts alfo confifts of fuch minute grains 
and particles, which when any perfon has a 
mind to fee them diftinétly, he muft manage 
and view it in the manner abovementioned. 
The fat cannot be feparated by water into 
fmall parts, and therefore in order to break it 
fufficiently; it muft be fhaken a little in f{pirit 
of wine: for thus it will very eafily divide 
into minute globules. If it be afterwards put 
on the glafs and examined. in the manner be- 
forementioned, it. makes a very agreeable 
appearance. 
The BOO K iof WAT UR BE or, 
This contrivance, wherewith we unite to- 
gether fuch fine and fmall things, put on gla{s 
that they may be afterwards, when dry, viewed , 
with a microfcope, I here mention for no 
other reafon but becaufe it anfwers on “many 
occafions: for a great many things which 
could not be otherwife examined, are by this ~ 
means very eafily difcovered, as will be madé 
more evident in the following pages, 
To return to the Bee-bread, we muft ob- 
ferve that many fpecies of Mites feek after it ; 
and thofe infects are alfo fond of unmelted fat. 
This may probably be owing to the many skins 
the fat is furrounded with; which are con- 
fumed in the melting, and which in the na- 
tural flate principally ferve thofe creatures as 
their food. One may fometimes obferve cer- 
tain globular particles in that wax, with which 
the little cells of the Bees are ftopt, and as it 
were fealed up: and by this new argument 
the opinion which I have before propofed, 
that the Bee-bread is really of the fubftance 
and nature of wax, is confirmed. When.wax 
has been for fome time fteeped in {pirit of 
wine, it becomes very brittle, and feparates in- 
to little particles, which feem alfo to be fome- 
what like the broken or divided bread of Bees ; 
but that experiment ought to have been made 
with virgin wax, which I could not yet do, 
having been otherwife engaged. 
Notwithftanding all thefe things, we fome- 
times fee that the Bees carry real and perfect 
wax into the hives. This is compofed likewife 
of globules; but they are four times, fix times, 
nay, often ten times larger than the grains of 
the Bee-bread: thefe globules are likewife of 
an irregular figure. The Bees, no doubt, 
{teal this wax, and bite it with their teeth from 
the wax made by other Bees; and afterwards 
fix iton their hinder legs in order to carry it 
into their hives. ‘Therefore thefe little lumps 
are agreeable to the meafure and magnitude of 
their bite, or are proportioned to the quantity 
which the Bees can take off a cake of wax, 
when foftened by the fummer heat. 
But if we attentively confider the experi- 
ments that have been hitherto.explained con- . 
cerning the Bee-bread, and at the fame time 
attend to its granular compofition, it does not 
feem very probable that the Bees. can live on 
it as their food in winter; for the Bees can 
take into their bodies only a matter that is not 
thicker than the honey itfelf, fince they have 
a very narrow and flender trunk. Therefore, 
the Bee-keepers always reject granulated ho- 
ney, or that which is cryftalized or concreted 
into lumps, as unfit for feeding of Bees, nor 
do they ever give it to them to eat; but in 
winter time they fill fplit elder fticks with 
liquid honey, and draw them through from 
one fide of the hive to the other. If any 
* Befide wax and honey, the- Bees collec a certain refinous fubftance, which authors call Propolis. It is of a brownifh red 
colour, very clammy, and a perfect vegetable refin. They ufe this to ftop up holes or cracks in the hive, and. to ftrengthen 
weak places. It is not of the nature of wax, for it will diffolve in fpirit of wine ; and we are not certain from what plants, or 
parts of plants they get it. ‘The ancients were acquainted with this dubftance, but they fay it was of a.difagreeable {mell ; 
with us itis aromatick. Probably the {cent varies according to the plants whence it is obtained. 
perfon 
