Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 02.djvu/770

BEE. out a queen can provide themselves with one by transforming and enlarging a worker's cell which contains an egg or very young larva. This process is sometimes carried on as if by several distinct parties, in different parts of the hive at once; and, as if aware that time will be gained, the bees generally prefer cells containing larvae of two or three days old to those containing eggs.

Winter Life and Enemies. — Bees become tor- pid during eold weather, and consume compara- tively little food. They are readilj* aroused from this state, however, as may at any time be proved by tapping on a beehive, when it will be found that the temperature of the interior of the hive rises rapidly. Respiration is consider- ably lessened in the state of torpidity, and the temperature rises when it is resumed. The respiration of bees takes jilace by air-tubes or trachew (see Ixsects), and is very active when the insect is in a state of activity. The respira- tory movements are easily seen in looking at a bee. The consumption of oxygen by this process might be expected soon to reduce the atmosphere within a hive to a state in which it could no longer support animal life; but in summer, when respiration is active and the hive populous, a constant circulation of air is maintained by the insects themselves, some of which are employed in a rapid vibration of their wings for this pur- pose. A greater or smaller number of them, ac- cording to circumstances, may frequently be seen thus engaged in fanning the air at the mouth of a beehive.

Among the enemies of bees, mention should be made of the bee-moth, which, notwithstanding the danger of the .stings of the bees, enter the hives and deposit their eggs. They belong to the small family Galleriidic, with only seven species in the United States. One species, Gal- leria melloneUa, a well-known pest, is a purplish- brown and yellow moth, which creeps into the hive at night to deposit her eggs. The larvae hide by day and feed af night on the wax, bur- rowing through the cells and doing much damage, even to the extent of destroying the colony. The bee colony should be kept strong, the cracks in the hive should be well filled to keep out the moth, and all moths and larvs seen should be killed. Mice sometimes eat their way into the hives in winter, and destroy and plunder un- molested. The bee-louse (Braiila cwca) is a troublesome parasite of bee colonies in the Jlcditerranean region, being most frequently found on the thoraces of queen bees. Several species of robber flies and dragon flies occasion- ally capture bees and eat them. There are also a number of bee-killing birds in Europe and the United States.

Bibliography. For standard works, see Ht- 1IEX0PTER. and Insects. For classification of American bees, consult : Cresson, "Synoposis of Families and Genera of the Hymenoptera North of ilexico," in Trans(tctioiis Am. Entom. Society (Philadelphia, 1887); Ashmead, "Classification of the Bees." in Trans. Am. Entom. Soc. (Phila- delphia, 1899). Popular works: Maeterlinck, The Life of tlie lice, English trans, bv Sutro (New York, 1901); Morley, The Bee People (New York, 1897); Huber, NottveUes Observa- tions sur les Abeilles (Paris, 1st ed. 1794). BEE, Barn.bd E. (1824-61). A Confederate general, born in South Carolina. He graduated in 1845, at West Point, and served with great ability and gallantry in the Mexican War. He was on frontier duty from 1848 to 1801, became a brigadier-general in the Confederate Army, and was mortallv wounded while leading his brigade at Bull Ruii, July 21, 1861.

BEE', Hamilton Prioleau (1822-97). A Confederate general, brother of Barnard E. Bee, born in Charleston, S. C. He was secretary on the commission which ran the boundary line be- tween Texas and the United States from the mouth of the Sabine River to Red River (1839), acting as a representative of Texas. President Houston, of Texas, sent him as a commissioner to treat with the Comanche Indians in March, 1843, and although he and his associates were at first made prisoners, the mission was finally successful. When the hostilities with Mexico began, he resigned his office of secretary of the Texas Senate, and joined Gen. Ben McCulloch's cavalry. He became a brigadier-general of the Provisional Army of Texas in 1861, and in the Confederate Army in 1862.

BEE, The. A weekly magazine, first pub- lished by Mr. Wilkie, a London bookseller, on October 16, 17S9. It ran through only eight numbers, but is notable from Goldsmith's con- tributions.

BEE-BALM, blim. See Oswego Tea.

BEE-BIRD, or BEE-MAR'TIN. The North American kingbird. In reference to its habit of catching honey-bees, see Kingbird.

BEECH (OHG. hiioeha, Lat. fagus, Gk.<priy6s, pheyos, oak; cf. Skt. bliaksh. to eat). Fat/us. A genus of trees of the natural order Fagaceie. The species are not numerous ; most of them are forest trees of great beauty. The genus has been divided into two sections — Eufagus, with four species in the Northern Hemisphere, and Xotho- fagus in the Southern, with a dozen species. By some botanists these are considered distinct gen- era. The European Beech {Fagus sylvatica) — see Plate of Balsam- — forraspure forests in many parts of Europe. It grows to a height of 100 to 120 feet and a diameter of 4 feet, and when stand- ing alone becomes a very ornamental tree, with far-spreading branches, which often droop grace- fully almost to the ground. It has thin, ovate, obscurely toothed leaves, finely ciliated on their margins. Its bark is smooth, and is often of a whitish color. The beech thrives best in light but not sandy soils, and does not send its roots deep into the .ground, but rather horizontally under the surface. The wood is more or less of a reddish-brown color. It is very hard and solid but brittle, and when exposed to the open air very liable to rot and to be eaten by worms. When kept under water, it is very durable; hence its use in the erection of mills and for weirs, sluices, etc. It is also employed for many purposes by cabinet-makers and turn- ers. It is very much used in France for mak- ing the sabots, or wooden shoes, worn by the peasantry, being preferred for this purpose to every other wood except walnut, on account of its incapacity for absorbing water. It is one of the best kinds of firewood in Europe. The bark is sometimes employed in tanning when oak bark is scarce. The beech bears lopping well, and is often planted for hedges-. Beech- nuts, when fresh, have a sweet taste, like that-