Page:Jardine Naturalist's library Bees.djvu/130

126 the receptacles were discovered where the wax is lodged after its transudation from the body of the bee,—that a vast number of small scales, proved to be wax, are to be seen at the bottom of the hive in which bees have recently been lodged, and which have certainly fallen from them while hurriedly occupied in fixing the foundation of their combs,—and, that these scales have been observed by many, ourselves among the number, appearing under the rings of the abdomen, and more than half extruded. And, finally, these discoveries, which some, perhaps, might regard as little more than presumptive evidence, have been followed up by Huber with his usual success, and the formation of wax from honey or sugar, the saccharine part of which last-mentioned substance constitutes one principal ingredient of honey, established by such unequivocal experiments as to force conviction on the most sceptical. We have again to express our regret that our narrow limits oblige us to give only a very brief abstract of these most interesting and conclusive experiments, and to refer the reader to the ampler details to be found in Huber's work. He lodged a young swarm in a straw hive, furnishing them with honey and water, and confining them for five days; at the end of that period the bees had consumed the whole of their provisions, and had constructed several combs of beautiful wax. These combs were removed and more honey given them, and the result was the same. This removal was made five times successively, and on each occasion, being supplied exclusively with honey, they produced new combs; thus putting it beyond dispute that this