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Bee.

Bedouins his gueft, nothing in the world can induce him to betray him. The power of the Sultan himself would not be able to force a refugee from the protection of a tribe, but by its total extermination. The Bedouin, fo rapacious without his camp, has no fooner fet his foot within it, than he becomes liberal and generous. What little he poffeffes he is ever ready to divide. He has even the delicacy not to wait till it is afked: when he takes his repaft, he affects to feat himself at the door of his tent, in order to invite the paffengers; his generofity is so fincere, that he does not look upon it as a merit, but merely as a duty; and he therefore readily takes the fame liberty with others. To obferve the manner in which the Arabs conduct themfelves towards each other, one would imagine that they poffeffed all their goods in common. Nevertheless they are no ftrangers to property; but it has none of that selfishness which the increase of the imaginary wants of luxury has given it among polished nations. Deprived of a multitude of enjoyments which nature has lavished upon other countries, they are lefs expofed to temptations which might corrupt and debafe them. It is more difficult for their Shaiks to form a faction to enslave and impoverish the body of the nation. Each individual, capable of fupplying all his wants, is better able to preferve his character and independence; and private poverty becomes at once the foundation and bulwark of public liberty.

This liberty extends even to matters of religion. We obferve a remarkable difference between the Arabs of the towns and those of the desart; fince, while the former crouch under the double yoke of political and religious defpotifm, the latter live in a state of perfect freedom from both: it is true, that on the frontiers of the Turks, the Bedouins, from policy, preferve the appearance of Mahometanifm; but fo relaxed is their obfervance of its ceremonies, and fo little fervour has their devotion, that they are generally confidered as infidels, who have neither law nor prophets. They even make no difficulty in saying that the religion of Mahomet was not made for them: "For (add they) how fhall we make ablutions who have no water? How can we bestow alms who are not rich? Why should we faft in the Ramadan, fince the whole year with us is one continual faft? and what neceffity is there for us to make the pilgrimage to Mecca, if God be prefent every where?" In fhort, every man acts and thinks as he pleases, and the most perfect toleration is eftablished among them.

BEDRIACUM, (anc. geog.), a village of Italy, fituated, according to Tacitus, between Verona and Cremona, but nearer the latter than the former. From the account given by that hiftorian, Cluverius conjectures that the ancient Bedriacum flood in the place where the city of Caneto now ftands. This village was remarkable for the defeat of the emperor Galba by Otho, and afterwards of Otho by Vitellius.

BEDWIN-MAGNA, a village five miles fouth of Hungerford in Berkshire in England. It has neither market nor fair; but is a borough by prefcription, and fends two members to parliament. It is faid to have been a confiderable place in the time of the Saxons, and that the traces of its fortifications are ftill extant.

BEE, in natural hiftory, a genus of infects, the chaafters of which are given under the Latin or LinVOL. III. Part I.

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This fpecies is furnished with downy hairs; has a Defcription dufky-coloured breast, and brownish belly; the tibia of of the bothe hind-legs are ciliated, and tranfverfely ftreaked on ney-bee. the infide. Each foot terminates in two hooks, with their points oppofite to each other; in the middle of these hooks there is a little thin appendix, which when unfolded, enables the infects to fasten themselves to glass or the moft polished bodies. This part they likewife employ for tranfmitting the fmall particles of crude wax which they find upon flowers to the cavity in their thigh, hereafter defcribed. The queen and drones, who never collect wax in this manner, have no fuch cavity. This fpecies is alfo furnished with a probofcis or trunk, which ferves to extract the honey from flowers; and has, befides, a real mouth fituated in the forepart of the head, with which it is able to feed on the farina of flowers, from which afterwards is made wax. The belly is divided into fix rings or joints; which fometimes fhorten the body, by flipping the one over the other. In the infide of the belly there is a fmall bladder or refervoir, in which the honey is collected, after having paffed through the probofcis and a narrow pipe which runs through the head and breast. This bladder, when full of honey, is about the fize of fmall pea.

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The fting, which is fituated at the extremity of the Its fting. belly, is a very curious weapon; and, when examined by the microfcope, appears of a fuprifing structure. It has a horney fheath or fcabbard, which includes two bearded darts. This fheath ends in a sharp point, near the extremity of which a flit opens, through which, at the time of ftinging, the two bearded darts are protruded beyond the end of the fheath: one of these is a little longer than the other, and fixes its beard first; and the other inftantly following, they penetrate alternately deeper and deeper, taking hold of the flesh with their beards or hooks, till the whole fting is buried in the flesh; and then a venomous juice is injected through the fame fheath, from a little bag at the root of the fting. Hence the wound occafions an acute pain and fwelling of the part, which fometimes continue feveral days. These effects are best remedied by enlarging the wound directly, to give it fome discharge. This poifon feems to owe its mifchievous efficacy to certain pungent falts. Let a bee be provoked to ftrike its fting against a plate of glafs, and there will be a drop of the poifon discharged and left upon the glafs. This being placed under a double microfcope, as the liquor evaporates, the falts will be feen to concrete, forming oblong, pointed, clear cryftals.-Mr Derham counted on the fting of a wasp eight beards on the fide of each dart, fomewhat like the beards of fish hooks; and the fame number is to be counted on the darts of the bee's fting. When these beards are ftruck deep in the flesh, if the wounded perfon ftarts, or difcompofes the beɛ. before it can difengage them, the fting is left behind flicking in the wound: but if he have patience to ftand quiet, the creature brings the hooks down close to the fides of the darts, and withdraws the weapon; in which cafe, the wound is always much lefs painful. The danger of being stung by bees may be in a great

meafure

Bee,

meafure prevented by a quiet compofed behaviour. A thoufand bees will fly and buzz about a perfon without hurting him, if he ftand perfectly till, and forbear disturbing them even when near his face; in which cafe he may obferve them for hours together without danger: but if he molefts or beats them away, he ufually See Edin- fuffers for it. It has been lately affirmed *, that a burgh Meperfon is in perfect fafety in the midft of myriads of dical Commentaries, bees, if he but carefully keep his mouth fhut, and Vol. IV. breathe gently through the noftrils only; the human breath, it would feem, being peculiarly offenfive to their delicate organs and merely with this precaution, it is faid, the very hives may be turned up, and even part of the comb cut out, while the bees are at work.

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Queen-bee.

Attach

I. OECONOMY, INSTINCTS, &c. of the HONEY-BEE. We may confider a hive of bees as a well peopled city, in which are commonly found from 15,000 to 18,000 inhabitants. This city is in itself a monarchy; -compofed of a queen; of males, which are the drones; and of working bees, which have been fuppofed and called neuters. The combs, which are of pure wax, ferve as their magazine of ftores, and for the nurfing places of their young offspring. There is between the combs a space fufficient for two bees to march abreaft, without embarraffing each other; and in fome parts it is more fpacious. There are alfo holes, or narrow paffes, which cross the combs tranfverfely, and are intended to shorten the way when the bees pafs from one comb to another.

The QUEEN is eafily diftinguished from the other bees, by the form of her body: fhe is longer and larger than they are, and her wings are much fhorter than theirs in proportion to her body; for the wings of the other bees cover their whole body, whereas thofe of the queen hardly reach beyond her middle, or end at about the third ring of her belly. Her hinder parts are more taper than those of the other bees, termina ting fharper. Her belly and legs are of a deep yellow, much refembling the pureft gold. She is unwieldy in She is unwieldy in her flight, a reason for her feldom flying but when the leaves the parent-hive to go and fettle a colony. All the bees form her retinue, and like dutiful subjects repair to the place the choofes. She is armed with a vigorous fting. Lefs paffionate however than her fubjects, fhe only uses her fting when long provoked, or when in conteft for imperial fway. Never more than one remains in a hive, and that is the conqueror.

A hive of bees cannot fubfift without a queen, as ment of her he alone produces their numerous pofterity; and on fubjects. this account their fidelity and attachment to their fovereign is admirable..

Mr Wild

Mr Wildman, by his dexterity in the management man's feats of bees, fome years ago, furprised the whole kingdom. by means of He can cause a swarm to light where he pleases,. almost the queen. inftantaneously; he can order them to fettle on his head, then remove them to his hand; command them to depart and fettle on a window, table, &c. at pleafure. We fhall fubjoin his method of performing thefe feats, in his own words:

"Long experience has taught me, that as foon as I turn up a hive, and give it fome taps on the fides and bottom, the queen immediately appears, to know the caufe of this alarm; but foon retires again among her people. Being accustomed to fee her fo often, I readily perceive her at first glance; and long practice has en

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abled me to feize her inftantly, with a tenderness that does not in the leaft endanger her perfon. This is of the utmost importance; for the leaft injury done to her brings immediate deftruction to the hive, if you have not a spare queen to put in her place, as I have too often experienced in my firft attempts. When poffeffed of her, I can without injury to her, or exciting that degree of refentment that may tempt her to fting me, flip her into my other hand, and, returning the hive to its place, hold her there, till the bees miffing her, are all on wing, and in the utmoft confufion. When the bees are thus diftreffed, I place the queen where-ever I would have the bees to fettle. The moment a few of them difcover her, they give notice to thofe near them, and those to the reft; the knowledge of which foon becomes fo general, that in a few minutes they all collect themselves round her; and are so happy in having recovered this fole fupport of their ftate, that they will long remain quiet in their fituation. Nay, the fcent of her body is fo attractive of them, that the flightest touch of her, along any place or substance, will attach the bees to it, and induce them to pursue any path she takes." This was the only witchcraft ufed by Mr Wildman, and is that alone which is practifed by others who have fince made fimilar exhibitions. In fhort, feize on the queen, and you are fure of leading all the bees of a hive to any place you pleafe.

Bee.

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When a queen dies by any accident, the bees of her Confequen hive immediately ceafe working, confume their own ces of her honey, fly about their own and other hives at unusual death, &c. hours when other bees are at reft, and pine away if not foon fupplied with another fovereign. Her lofs is proclaimed by a clear and interrupted humming. This fign fhould be a warning to the owner of the bees, to take what honey remains in the hive, or to procure them another queen. In this laft cafe, the flock inftantly revives; pleasure and activity are apparent through the whole hive; the prefence of the fovereign reftores vigour and exertion, and her voice commands univerfal respect and obedience of fuch importance is the queen to the existence and prosperity of the other members of this community.

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The diffection of the queen-bee fhows evidently that fhe lays many thousand eggs. It is computed that the ovaria of a queen-bee contain more than 5000 eggs at one time; and therefore it is not difficult to conceive that a queen-bee may produce 10,000 or 12,000 bees, or even more, in the space of two months.

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The common DRONES are fmaller than the queen, of the and larger than the working bees; and in flying they drones make a greater noife. The diffection of the drone gives as great proof of its being the male, as that of the queen does of her being female.. In this creature there is no appearance of ovaries or eggs, nor any thing of the ftructure of the common working bees, but the whole abdomen is filled with transparent veffels, winding about in various finuofities, and containing a white or milky fluid. This is plainly analogous to that fluid in the males of other animals, which is deftined to render the eggs of the female prolific; and this whole apparatus of veffels, which much refembles the turnings and windings of the feminal veffels in other animals, is plainly intended only for the preparation and retention of this matter, till the deftined time of its being emitted. On fqueezing the hinder parts, alfo, may be forced out the penis, a fmall and flender fleshy body, contained be

tween

Bee.

tween two horns of a fomewhat harder fubftance, which join at their base, but gradually part afunder as they are continued in length. Thefe parts, found in all the drones, and none of them in any other bees except thefe, feem to prove very evidently the difference of fex. If a hive is opened in the beginning of fpring, not a fingle drone will be found in it; from the middle of May till the end of June, hundreds of them will be found, commonly from 200 or 300 to 1000; and from thence to the following fpring it would be in vain to feek for them. They go not out till 11 in the morning, and return before fix in the evening. But their expeditions are not thofe of induftry. They have no fting, their roftrum and feet are not adapted for collecting wax and honey, nor in deed are they obliged to labour. They only hover upon flowers to extract the fweets, and all their thoughts are pleasure. Their office is, to impregnate the eggs of the queen after they are depofited in the cells. And while their prefence is thus neceffary, they are fuffered to enjoy the fweets of love and life; but as foon as they become useless in the hive, the working bees declare the most cruel war against them, and make terrible flaughter of them. This war affects not only the bees already in life, but even the eggs and maggots; for the law which has pronounced the deftruction of the males has no exception, it extends equally to those which do not yet breathe and to those which do; the hive is cleared of every egg, maggot, or nymph; the whole is torn away and carried off. Af ter the feafon proper for increafing the number of bees is paft, and when they fhould attend only to the fupplying of their magazines fufficiently with winter-ftores, every veftige of the drones is deftroyed, to make room for honey. Whenever these drones are obferved to remain in a hive late in the autumn, it is held to be a bad fign of the fate of the hive.

But befides thefe larger drones, Maraldi and Reaumur had long ago difcovered that there were others of a leffer fize, not exceeding that of the common working bees. This fact, however, was not fully afcertained before the late experiments of Mr Debraw, to be afterwards mentioned. It is well known, as has been already noticed, that the large drones never appear in the hive before the middle of April; that they are all dead before the end of Auguft, when the principal breeding feafon terminates; and that they are deftroyed, together with all their worms or nymphs, by the working bees, probably by order of the queen, to fave honey yet it is equally certain, that the bees begin to breed early in the fpring, fometimes in February, if the weather is mild; and that many broods are completed before thefe drones appear. But if drones of a smaller fize are fuffered to remain, which in a time of fcarcity confume lefs honey than the others, thefe will anfwer the purpose of fupplying the early broods, and the larger drones are produced against a time of greater plenty. Some obfervers affirm, that the fmaller drones are all dead before the end of May, when the larger species appear and fuperfede their use. Thefe circumftances accord with the fuggeftion of Abbe Le Pluche in his Spectacle de la Nature, That a small number of drones are referved to fupply the neceffities of the enfuing year; and that thefe drones are very little, if at all, larger than the common bees.

Bec

The WORKING BEES compofe the greatest body of the flate. Columella informs us, that the ancients diftinguifhed feveral kinds of them. He joins in o-The work pinion with Virgil, who approves of thofe which are ing bees. fmall, oblong, fmooth, bright, and shining, of a gentle and mild difpofition: "for," continues he, "by how much the larger and rounder the bee is, by fo much the worse it is; but if it be fierce and cruel, it is the worft of all. The angry difpofition of bees of a better character is easily foftened by the frequent intercourse of thofe who take care of them, for they grow more tame when they are often handled." The experience of ages has now eftablished the fort of bees which have been found to answer beft the purposes of keeping them.

The working bees have the care of the hive, collect the wax and honey, fabricate and work up the wax, build the cells, feed the young, keep the hive clean, drive from thence ftrangers, and employ themselves in all other concerns relating to the hive.

The working bee has two ftomachs; one which contains the honey, and a fecond in which is contained the crude wax. The working bees have no parts analo gous to the ovaria of the queen, or that refemble the male organs of the drones. Hence they have generally been fuppofed to be neutral or of neither fex. But a different doctrine has lately been established; which there will be occafion to notice in the sequel.

The fting is very neceffary for a working bee, both as an offenfive and as a defenfive weapon: for their honey and wax excite the envy of many greedy and lazy infects; and they have alfo to defend themselves againft enemies, who are fonder of eating them than their honey. There is likewife a time when the drones must be facrificed and exterminated for the good of the fociety; and as they are larger and ftronger than the working bees, thefe laft would have a very unequal match, were it not for this poisonous fting.

There happen alfo among bees, either of the fame of their or of different hives, moft deadly feuds, in which their battles. ftings are their chief weapons. In these contests, great fkill may be difcerned in their manner of pointing the fting between the fcaly rings which cover their bodies, or to fome other eafily vulnerable part. The bee which firft gains the advantage remains the contqueror: tho' the victory cofts the victor his life, if he has left his fting in the body of the enemy; for, with the fting, fo much of his body is torn out, that death inevi. tably follows. Bees have very fevere conflicts when whole hives engage in a pitched battle, and many are flain on both fides. Their fighting and plundering one another ought chiefly to be imputed, as Mr Thorley obferves, either to their perfect abhorrence of floth and idlenefs, or to their infatiable thirft for honey; for when, in fpring or autumn, the weather is fair, but no honey can be collected from plants, and is to be found only in the hives of other becs, they will venture their lives to get it there.

Dr Warder affigns another caufe of their fighting; which is, the neceffity that the bees are reduced to when their own hive has been plundered, at a season when it is too late for them to repair the lofs by any induftry in the fields.

Sometimes one of the queens is killed in battle. In this cafe, the bees of both hives unite as foon as her Q2 death

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death is generally known among them. All then be come one people; the vanquished go off with the robbers, richly laden with their own fpoils, and return every day with their new affociates to pillage their old habitation. This caufes a throng, unufual for the feafon, at the door of the hive they are plundering; and if the owner lifts it up at night, when all are gone home, he will find it empty of inhabitants; though there perhaps will remain in it fome honey, which he takes as his property.

When two fwarms take flight at the fame time, they fometimes quarrel, and great numbers are destroyed on both fides, till one of the queens is flain. This ends the contest, and the bees of both fides unite under the furviving fovereign.

When the bees begin to work in their hives, they divide themselves into four companies: one of which roves in the fields in fearch of materials; another employs itself in laying out the bottom and partitions of their cells; a third is employed in making the infide fmooth from the corners and angles; and the fourth company brings food for the reft, or relieves those who return with their respective burdens. But they are not kept conftant to one employment; they often change the tasks affigned them: thofe that have been at work, being permitted to go abroad; and those that have been in the fields already, take their places. They seem even to have figns, by which they understand each other: for when any of them want food, it bends down its trunk to the bee from whom it is expected, which then opens its honey-bag, and lets fome drops fall into the other's mouth, which is at that time opened to receive it. Their diligence and labour is fo great, that, in a day's time, they are able to make cells which lie upon each other numerous enough to contain 3000

bees.

In the plan and formation of these cells they difcover a moft wonderful fagacity. In conftructing habitations within a limited compass, an architect would have three objects in view : first, to use the smallest quantity that can be of materials; next, to give to the edifice the greatest capacity on a determined space; and thirdly, to employ the fpot in fuch a manner that none of it may be loft. On examination, it will be found that the bees have obtained all these advantages in the hexagonal form of their cells: for, first, there is an economy of wax, as the circumference of one cell makes part of the circumferences of those contiguous to it; fecondly, the economy of the spot, as these cells which join to one another leave no void between them; and thirdly, the greateft capacity or space; as, of all the figures which can be contiguous, that with fix fides gives the largest area. This thriftinefs prompts them to make the partitions of their cells thin; yet they are conftructed fo as that the folidity may compenfate for the scantiness of materials. The parts moft liable to injury are the entrance of the cells. These the bees take care to ftrengthen, by adding quite round the circumference of the apertures a fillet of wax, by which means this mouth is three or four times thicker than the fides and they are ftrengthened at the bottom by the angle formed by the bottom of three cells falling in the middle of an oppofite cell. The combs lie parallel to each other; and there is left between every

one of them a space which serves as a ftreet, broad enough for two bees to pafs by each other. There are holes which go quite through the combs, and serve as lanes for the bees to pass from one comb to another, without being obliged to go a great way about. When they begin their combs, they form at the top of the hive a root or ftay to the whole edifice, which is to hang from it. Though they generally lay the foundations of the combs fo that there fhall be no more between them than what is fufficient for two bees to pafs, yet they fometimes place thofe beginnings of two combs too far afunder; and, in this cafe, in order to fill up part of the void fpace arifing from that bad difpofition, they carry their combs on obliquely, to make them gradually approach each other. This void fpace is fometimes fo confiderable, that the bees build in it an intermediate comb, which they terminate as foon as the original combs have only their due diftances. As the combs would be apt, when full, to overcome by their weight all the fecurity which the bees can give them against falling; they who prepare hives, fet in them, croffwife, fticks, which ferve as props to the combs, and fave the bees a great deal of labour. It is not easy to difcover the particular manner of their working; for, notwithstanding the many contrivances used for this purpose, there are fuch numbers in continual motion, and fucceed one another with such rapidity, that nothing but confufion appears to the fight. Some of them, however, have been observed carrying pieces of wax in their talons, and running to the places where they are at work upon the combs. These they faften to the work by means of the fame talons. Each bee is employed but a very short time in this way but there is fo great a number of them that go on in a constant fucceffion, that the comb increafes very perceptibly. Befides thefe, there are others that run about beating. the work with their wings and the hinder part of their body, probably with a view to make it more firm and folid.

Whilft part of the bees are occupied in forming the cells, others are employed in perfecting and polishing thofe that are new modelled. This operation is performed by their talons, taking off every thing that is rough and uneven. These polishers are not fo defultory in their operations as those that make the cells; they work long and diligently, never intermitting their la bour, excepting to carry out of the cell the particles of wax which they take off in polishing. These particles are not allowed to be loft; others are ready to receive them from the polishers, and to employ them in fome other part of the work.

Bee.

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materials,

The balls which we fee attached to the legs of bees of their returning to the hives are not wax, but a powder col- buildinglected from the ftamina of flowers, and yet brought to and provi the ftate of wax. The fubftance of these balls, heated fion. in any veffel, does not melt as wax would do, but be-1. Was. comes dry, and hardens: it may even be reduced to a coal. If thrown into water, it will fink; whereas wax fwims. To reduce this crude fubftance into wax, it muft firft be digefted in the body of the bee.

Every bee, when it leaves the hive to collect this precious flore, enters into the cup of the flower, particularly fuch as feem charged with the greateft quantities of this yellow farina. As the animal's body is

covered

Bee. covered over with hair, it rolls itself within the flower, and quickly becomes quite covered with the duft, which it foon after brushes off with its two hind legs, and kneads into two little balls. In the thighs of the hindlegs there are two cavities, edged with hair; and into thefe, as into a basket, the animal fticks its pellets. Thus employed, the bee flits from flower to flower, increating its ftore, and adding to its flock of wax, until the ball upon each thigh becomes as big as a grain of pepper; by this time having got a fufficient load, it returns, making the best of its way to the hive.

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2. The pro

polis.

After the bees have brought home this crude fubftance, they eat it by degrees; or, at other times, three or four bees come and eafe the loaded bee, by eating each of them a share, the loaded bee giving them a hint fo to do. Hunger is not the motive of their thus eating the balls of waxy matter, especially when a fwarm is firft hived; but it is their defire to provide a speedy fupply of real wax for making the combs. At other times, when there is no immediate want of wax, the bees lay this matter up in repofitories, to keep it in ftore.

When this waxy matter is fwallowed, it is, by the digeftive powers of the bee, converted into real wax, which the bees again difgorge as they work it up into combs; for it is only while thus foft and pliant from the ftomach that they can fabricate it properly. That the wax thus employed is taken from their ftomachs, appears from their making a confiderable quantity of comb foon after they are hived, and even on any tree or fhrub where they have refted but a short while before their being hived, though no balls were visible on their legs, excepting thofe of a few which may be jult returned from the field. This is farther confirmed by what happened in a fwarm newly hived: for two days together from the time of their quitting their former home it rained conftantly, infomuch that not one bee was able to stir out during that time; yet at the end of the two days they had made a comb 15 or 16 inches long, and thick in proportion.

The crude wax, when brought home by the bees, is often of as different colours as are the flowers from which it is collected: but the new combs are always of a white colour, which is afterwards changed only by the impurities arifing from the fteam, &c. of the bees.

Bees collect crude wax alfo for food; for if this was not the cafe, there would be no want of wax after the combs are made: but they are obferved, even in old hives, to return in great numbers loaded with fuch matter, which is depofited in particular cells, and is known by the name of bee-bread. We may guess that they confume a great deal of this fubftance in food by the quantity collected; which, by computation, may in fome hives, amount to an hundred weight in a season, whilft the real wax in such an hive does not perhaps exceed two pounds.

It is well known that the habitation of bees ought to be very close; and what their hives want from the negligence or unfkilfulness of man, thefe animals fupply by their own induftry: fo that it is their principal care, when firft hived, to ftop up all the crannies. For this purpose they make use of a refinous gum, which is more tenacious than wax, and differs greatly from it. This the ancients called propolis. It will grow confider

Bee.

ably hard in the hive, though it will in fome measure foften by heat; and is often found different in confistence, colour, and fmell. It has generally an agreeable aromatic odour when it is warmed; and by fome it is confidered as a moft grateful perfume. When the bees begin to work with it, it is foft; but it acquires a firmer confiftence every day, till at length it affumes a brown colour, and becomes much harder than wax. The bees carry it on their hinder legs; and fome think it is met with on the birch, the willow, and poplar. However it is procured, it is certain that they plafter the infide of their hives with this compofition. Honey is originally a juice digefted in plants, which 3. The bo fweats through their pores, and chiefly in their flowers, "ey. or is contained in refervoirs in which nature ftores it. The bees fometimes penetrate into these ftores, and at other times find the liquor exfuded. This they collect in their ftomachs; fo that, when loaded with it, they feem, to an inattentive eye, to come home without any booty at all.

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Befides the liquor already mentioned, which is obtained from the flowers of plants, another fubftance, called honey-derw*, has been discovered, of which the See the bees are equally fond. Of this fubftance there are two kinds, both deriving their origin from vegetables, thoey-dew. in very different ways.

The firft kind, the only one known to husbandmen, and which paffes for a dew that falls on trees, is no other than a mild fweet juice, which having circulated through the veffels of vegetables, is separated in proper refervoirs in the flowers, or on the leaves, where it is properly called the honey-dew: fometimes it is depofited in the pith, as in the fugar-cane; and, at other times, in the juice of pulpy fummer-fruits when ripe. Such is the origin of the manna which is collected on the afh and maple of Calabria and Briançon, where it flows in great plenty from the leaves and trunks of these trees, and thickens into the form in which it is ufually feen.

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The second kind of honey-dew, which is the chief refource of bees after the fpring-flowers and dew by tranfpiration on leaves are paft, owes its origin to a small mean infect †, the excrement thrown out by which makes a part of the moft delicate honey we ever taste. From whatever fource the bees have collected their phis and honey, the instant they return home, they feek cells in Honey-dew, which they may difgorge and depofite their loads. They have two fort of ftores: one which confifts of honey laid up for the winter; and the other of honey intended for accidental use in case of bad weather, and for fuch bees as do not go abroad in fearch of it. Their method of fecuring each of thefe is different. They have in each cell a thicker fubftance, which is placed over the honey, to prevent its running out of the cell; and that fubftance is raised gradually as the cell is filled, till the bees, finding that the cell cannot contain any more, close it with a covering of wax, not to be opened till times of want, or during the winter.

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bees breed.

It has been already obferved, that the cells are in- Of the mar tended for other purposes befides being places of ftore ner in which for honey. One of the chief ufes is, their being nurferies for the young. The cells for those which are to be working bees, are commonly half an inch deep; those for drones, three quarters of an inch; and those which are intended for keeping of honey only, still

deeper.

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