242 
WHY  DO  BEES  WORK  IN  THE  DARK. 
former  weighed  103J  grains  the  latter  had  actually  lost  weight, 
the  100  grains  being  only  99 J  grains.  The  Dorsetshire  honey 
was  by  no  means  so  absorptive  as  the  Rosenthal,  but  in  all  four 
cases  that  were  tried  there  was  absorption  of  moisture  during 
damp  weather,  and  loss  of  moisture  during  dry ;  showing,  in 
fact,  the  presence,  in  greater  or  less  quantity,  of  deliquescent 
salts  in  the  honey. 
Remembering  the  fondness  of  bees  for  salt  water,  it  seemed 
probable  that  the  difference  between  the  Dorsetshire  honey  and 
the  Hertfordshire  honey  might  arise  from  the  fact  that  the  one 
contained  a  minute  proportion  of  salt,  or  of  the  salts  of  sea  water, 
which  was  absent  in  the  other. 
The  fondness  of  bees  for  salt  has  long  been  a  puzzle  to  ento- 
mologists. Dr.  Be  van,  in  his  work  on  "The  Honey  Bee," 
says : — "  I  keep  a  constant  supply  of  salt  and  water  (about  a 
teaspoonful  to  a  pint)  near  my  apiary,  in  a  shallow  dish,  covering 
the  bottom  with  small  pebbles,  and  find  it  thronged  with  bees  from 
early  noon  to  late  in  the  evening.  About  this  period  (i.e.,  the 
spring)  the  quantity  they  consume  is  considerable,  but  afterwards 
they  seem  indifferent  to  it."  In  the  volume  on  bees  contained 
in  Sir  William  Jardine's  "  Naturalists'  Library,"  it  is  stated,  p. 
49,  that  "  bees  have  recourse  in  spring,  but  generally  speaking 
in  spring  only,  to  dunghills  and  stagnant  marshes  for  the  sake 
of  the  salts  with  which  they  are  impregnated,  and  which  their 
instinct  teaches  them  are  advantageous  to  their  health  after  their 
long  winter  confinement." 
It  seemed  more  probable  that  bees  collect  small  portions  of 
,«a&£  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  their  honey  fluid  than  for  the 
purposes  of  medicine,  as  suggested  by  the  last  quotation.  To  test 
thia,  two  portions  of  120  grs.  each  of  the  candied  Hertfordshire 
honey  were  scraped  from  a  spatula  upon  the  edges  of  two  evapo- 
rating dishes;  one  specimen  was  sprinkled  with  about  2  grs. 
weight  <of  marine  salt,  such  as  are  used  for  making  artificial  sea 
water.    In  the  course  of  a  few  hours  this  honey  showed  signs  of 
liquefaction,  although  the  weather  was  cold ;  and  in  the  course 
of  two  or  three  days  it  had  run  down  into  the  dish  in  a  liquid 
form,  so  thai;  it  could  be  poured.    The  honey  in  the  other  dish 
continued  ffor  weeks  adhering  to  the  edge,  showing  much  less  de- 
.  cided  signs,  of  liquefaction. 
