Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, first edition - Volume I, A-B.pdf/382

 API ( 33 2 ) API hive. The queen and drones, who never colleft wax in cepting to carry out of the cell the particles of wax this manner, have no fuch cavity. The belly of the bee which they take off in poliflring. Thefe particles are not is divided into fix rings or joints. In the infide of the allowed to be lod; others are ready to receive them from belly there is a fmall bladder or refervoir, in which the the polifirers, and to employ them in fome other part of honey is colle&ed, after having paffed through the pro- the work. bofcis and a narrow pipe which runs through the head Each comb has two rows of ceils oppofite to each oand bread. This bladder, when full of honey, is about ther, which have their common bafes. The thicknefs the fize of a fmall pea. The ding is fituate at the extre-. of every comb is fomething lefs than an inch, and the of the cells is about five lines. Almod all the jnity of the belly: It is a horny fubdanee, and hollow depth within, for tranfmitting the venomous liquor, which lies combs are built with cells of this fize; except a fmall in a bladder near the anus, into the wound. The ding number of a larger kind, that are dedined for the Worms js generally left in the wound, and frequently draws af- that produce drones. The bafes of all the combs are placed at fuch a diter it the poifon-bag. As the mellefica, or honey-bee, is both an ufeful in- ftance from one another, that, when the cells are finiihed, fe<d, and endowed with peculiar indindts, we lhall give there is only a fpace left fufficient for the paflage of two bees abread. Thefe combs are not continued from top a particular account of its nature and ceconomy. The queen is the only female in a hive; (he is' di- to bottom, but are often interrupted, and have openings dinguidied from the others by being taller, more of an from one pafiage to another, which give a more eafy and pblong figure, and having ten joints in each feeler.. She diorter communication. is likewife furnifired with a ding. The fuci, males, or The queen-bee i^ generally concealed in the mod fedrones, are commonly about 1600 in a hive; they have fcret part of the hive, and is never vifible but when (1« no ding, and their feelers have eleven joints. The o- lays her eggs in fuch combs as are expofed to fight. perafias, fpadones, or working bees, are fometimes When (he does appear, (lie is always attended by ten or a dozen of the common fort, who form a'kind of retinue, 20,000 in a hive; they have fifteen joints in their feel- and follow her where-ever (he goes with a fedate and ers, and are armed with (tings. After a new fwarm is formed, the bees immediately grave tread. Befor* (he lays her eggs, (he examines the begin to form their cells. They begin their work at the cells where (He defigns to lay them ; and if (he finds that upper part of the hive, and continue it downwards, and they contain neither honey, wax, nor any embrio, (lie fiom one fide to the other. It is not eafy to difcover -introduces the poderior part of her body into a cell, the particular manner of their working; for, notwith- and fixes to the bottom of it a fmall white egg, which is ftanding the many contrivances ufed for this purpofe, compofed of a thin white membrane, full of a whitifh, there, are foch numbers in continual motion, and fucceed liquor. In this manner (he goes on, till (lie fills as many one another with fuch rapidity, that nothing but confu- cells as (he has eggs to lay, which are generally many thoufands. After the eggs lie four days in the cells, fion appears to the fight. Some of them however have they appear in the form of fmall caterpillars ; and gene^ been obferved carYying pieces of wax in their talons, and rally ,lie twided round, fo that the two extremities touch running to the places where they are at work, upon the each 7 he bees then fupply them with a little ho-‘ combs. TheCe they fallen to the work by means of the ney forother. food, ;he quantity of which they increafe till the fame talons. Each bee is employed but a very (hort eighth day from the birth of the caterpillar. After this," time in. this .way ; but fhere is fo great.a number of them the bees difcover care about their young; but that go on in a condant fucceflion, that the comb increa- dop up the mouthsnoofmore the cells with wax. The embrios les vevy perceptibly. Befides thefe, there are others lie in this (late twelve days, during which time they, unthat run about beating the work with their wings and dergo furprifing changes. They change their fituation the hinder part pf their body, probably with a view -O in the cells, and indead of beingfirdrolled up, they extend make it more firrtl and folid. along, and pl^ce their heads towards the The order they obferve in the .condruftion of their themfelves cells is this: They begin with laying the bails, which is mouth of the cell; after this, the head of the worm becompofed of three rhombus’s or lozenges. They build gins to have a fmall extenfion, which is the rudiment of fird one of the rhombus’s, and draw faces on two of its the probofeis: Upon the head there is likewife a black sides; they then add a fecond rhombus to the fird in a point, and at a little didance from this point, a black dreak upon the back: The fird lineaments of the feet ' certain inclination, and draw two new faces on its two likewife but they are very fmall. After the head fides ; and, lad of all, they add a third rhqmbus to the is formed,,appear; and the probofeis lengthened, all the other two fird, and rhombus tw o other faces ; which completes the cell of an parts difplay themfelves fucceflively; fo that .the whole worm or embrio is changed into an aurelia or nymph, hexagonal figure. Whild part of the bees are occupied in forming the which is the fly almod perfeft, except that it is yet white cells, others are employed in pevfedting and polilhing and foft, and wants that crud'with which it is afterwards By this transformation the worm is dripped of thofe that are new-modelled. This operation is perform- covered. ed by their talons, taking off everything that is rough a white thin pellicle, which adheres to the fides of the" and uneven. Thefe pohfhers are not fo defultory in cell. The young bee being dripped of this pellicle, and their operations as thofe that make the cells; they work all thy parts being unfolded by degrees, and changed long and diligently, never intermitting their labour, ex- through fuccdfive colours from yellow to black, arrives
 * rai e on the two external fides of this