| XXX | (333) | XXX |
API ( 333 > API at perfection on the twentieth day; when fhe cuts, with ftand as centinels at the mouth of the hive, to prevent in her jaws or talons, the covering of wax upon the mouth feCts of any kind from getting it. But if a fnail, or other of the cells, and iflues out. When the young bees firft large infeCt, fltould get in, notwithflanding all reuftance, get out of the cell, they appear drowfy, but foon acquire they fling it to death, and then cover itover with a coat of agility and command of their members; for they have wax, to prevent the bad fmell or maggots which might often been obferved to go to the fields, and return loaded proceed from the putrefaction of fuch a large animal. with wax the fame day that they iflued from the cells. Bees are feldom overtaken with bad weather; they As foon as a young bee quits its cell, one of the old feem to be warned of its appearance by fome particular ones takes off the wax-cover, and kneads and employs feeling. Cold is a great enemy to them. To defend the wax for fome other purpofe: Another of them repairs themfelves againft its efFeCts during a cold winter, they and cleanfes the cell, removing the pellicle and other croud together in the middle of the hive, and buzz about, and thereby excite a warmth which is often perfordes which was Ifft by the young one. It was obferved above, that bees colled their wax ceptible by laying thtf hand upon the glafs-windows of from the pollen or farina of flowers, and carry it to the the hive. They feem to underfland one another by the hive. When they arrive there, they Support themfelves motions of their wings. When the queen wants to quit on their two fore-feet, and make a buzz with theit wings,, the hive, {he gives a little buzz, and all the others imthereby warning the bees within to aflifl: them to unload; mediately follow her example, and retire along with her. which they fnftantly do, each taking a fmall portion of They expell the drones before the wintef. To that, of the wax from the hinder-legs of the loaded ones, till the feveral hundreds in a hive, not one can be feen after the whole be exhaufted. The wax is not only employed for month of October. This expulfion always occafions a the original conftrudiorf of the combs and cells, but is furious battle between the drones and the working bees; collected and laid up in confiderable quantities for the but the latter being greatly fuperior in number,, always purpofes of repairing any damage that may happen to the prevail. works during the winter, when they have no opportuni- With regard to Hives, thofe made of ftraw are the ty of collecting it in the fields, and likewife to flop up beft, on many accounts: They are not liable to be overthe mouths of the cells when full of honey or embrios. heated by the rays of the fun; they keep out cold better Bees have often been obferved to dilute their wax, when than wood or any other materials; and the cheapnefs too hard, by means of fome liquor or faliva which they renders the purchafe of th»m eafy. As the ingenious emit upon it, ^n order to render it foft and pliable for Mr Wildman’s hives are reckoned to be of a preferable conftruCtion to any other, we {hall give an account of ufe. The ho/ey, as welt'-as the wax, is collected from them in his own words. flowers. The honey, however, ts extracted from a diffe-' “ My hives,” fays he, “ are feven inches in height, rent part of the flower. In the flowers of many plants “ and ten in width. The fides are upright, fo that the there are neCtaria, or nectariferous glands, which fecret “ top and bottom are of the fame diameter. A hive from the plant a pure tranfparent liquor, refembling vir- “ holds nearly a peck. In the upper row of ftraw, there gin-honey both in tafte and appearance, excepting that “ is. a hoop of about half an inch in breadth, to which it is thinner. Perhaps all the change that this nectarife- “ are nailed five bars of deals, full a quarter of an inch rous juice undergoes, by being fucked up, and depofited “ in thicknefs, 'and an inch and quarter wide, and half in the honey-bag of the bee, is, that the more watery parts “ an inch afunder from one another; a narrow {hort may probably be abforbed during the fmall time it remains “ bar is nailed at each fide, half an inch diflant from there. The heat of the hive, after it is depofited in the “ the bars next them, in order to fill up the remaining cells, will (till evaporate more of the watery parts, and “ parts of the circle ; fp that there are in all feven bars bring it to the confidence of honey. “ of deal, to which the bees fix their combs. The fpace When a bee is collecting honey, {he "no fooner lights “ of half an inch between the bars allows a fuificient and upon a flower than ftie extends her probofcis, and fucks “ eafy paflage for the bees from one hive to another, la up what ftie can find: If fire cannot find a fufficient “ Cider to give great fteadinefs to the combs, fo that, upquantity to fill her bag in one flower. Are immediately moving the hive, the combs may not foil off, or flies to another, and thus goes on till {he has filled it. ““ onincline out of their direction, a flick ftiould be run She then retires to the hive, goes to the cell, difgorges' “ through the middle of the hive, in a direction direCtly the honey, and again returns to the fields in queft of “ a crols the bars, or at right angles with them. When more. As the quantity carried home by one bee is but “ the hives are made, a^piece of wood fhould be worked fmall, it requires the labour of many to fill a cell with “ into the lower row of {{raw, long enough to allow honey. When the cells are full, they are immediately “ a door for the bees, of four indies in length, and clofed up with wax, if defigned for winter-provifion ; if “ half an inch in height . Hot, they are allowed to remain open for the common “ The proprietor of the bees Ihould provide himfolf nourilhment of the fwarm flat covers of ftraw, worked of the fame Befides thefe capital inftinCls of bees, they are pof- “ with feveral as the hives, and a foot in diameter, that'fo fefled of others, fome of which are equally neceflary for ““ thicknefs it may be of the fame width as the outfide of the hives. their prefervation and happinefs. They anxioufly pro- “ Before the cover is applied to the hive, a piece of vide againd the entrance of infeCts into the hive, by glu- “ clean paper, of the fize of the top of the hive, ftiould ing up with wax the fmailed holes in the deep. Some “ 'be laid over it, and a -coat of cow-dung, which is the Vol. I. No. 14. 3 4P “ leaf!:
