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108 | NATURAL HISTORY. 
them from the effedts of cold, and much better than to place them iff 
a green houfe. The charge will be little, becaufe the fame tubs will 
ferve for a great number of years. Large wicker bafkets may be alf@ 
made ufe of in the fame manner. 
The defign of the ftings of Bees, is not to hurt mankind, but to de- 
fend them againft their enemies which are very numerous. Hornets 
and Wafps will tear open the bellies of Bees, to fuck the contents 
Spiders alfo are enemies, but they are not able to do fo much barm$ 
as for Ants, they want nothing but the honey; but Lizards, Frogss 
and Toads, will eat the Bees. entirely up, when they can catch them- 
_ There is alfo a fort of Moths, that will get into their cells, and will 
penetrate into a great number of them, to feed upon the wax, of which 
they are extremely fond. Old Bees are fubje@ to a kind of Lice, which 
are not found upon the young; however they do not appear to bé 
greatly molefted by them. Tield Mice and Birds, are greater enemie? 
to Bees, than any thing elfe; infomuch that in one night, when they 
are benumbed in the winter feafon, a fingle field Moufe is able to de- 
ftroy a hive that is very well ftocked. Reaumur obferves, that thefé 
anife.als generally eat nothing but the heads and the breafts. © Thef 
will ferve Birds much in the fame manner, for the young Larks havé 
been found near the nefts, that have nothing wanting but the head 
and the neck. It is alfo faid, that among Birds, that thofe called 
Bee eaters, Swallows, and ‘Titmice, feed greatly upon Bees; but the 
Bird that does moft mifchief among them, and deftroys more than all 
-the reft put together, is the Sparrow. They {wallow them like grains 
of corn, and they have been feen to carry three Bees at a time, to feed 
their young with, that is one in their bills, and two others in theif 
claws. 
Thofe that are accuftomed to take care of Bees, may go among 
them very fafely, provided they do not anger them; but if they dO» 
they muft expe& the reward of their rafhne(s. They generally attempt 
to {ting people in their faces, and when any one is flung, if the Bee is 
forced away too foon, it always leaves its fling behind, with its appet- 
ages ; but then the Bee will live but a fhort time after it. The ting 
is generally more painful in f{ummer than in winter; for this depends 
upon the quantity of the venom, and the vigour of the Bee: befides 
there are perfons which are more affected with the {tings of Bees that 
others. Generally {fpeaking, the fting is followed with an itching, a2 
inflammation, a {welling, and a tharp pain; and if it happens to bé 
near the eyes, the eye-lids will fometimes clofe up for feveral days 
Authors that have wrote upon this {ubject, pretend to give feveral re+ 
medies againft the flinging of Bees; but Reaumur has tried them all, 
with little fuccefs ; however he thinks that the herb called arfe-marty 
has proved better than any thing elfe, when bruifed in.a mortar, a0 
applied thereto. But the beft way is to take out the fling as foon 4% 
potible, and then apply a little water, or vinegar, to the wound, 4% 
foon as poflible, and then the pain will vanith ; yet it has been obfet- 
ved, that it has fometimes returned again, with as much violence 4% 
before. : 
Some have pretended, that there are certain fmells, which giv 
great offence to Bees; and that they are fondeft of every thing that 
js clean and pure but this is a miftake, for they always like —_ 
a a3 . Te ORS re ws sie eee - : 2 or int 
