tain, the Honey gather'd by a great many Bees muft go to fill it.

When the Cells are full of Honey, they stop up those they reserve for their Winter Store, with a very thin Wax Cover; but thofe Cells which contain Honey for their daily Food, are open, and at the Difpofal of the whole Swarm. That Honey which is to be used laft for their Suftenance, is always put into the most inacceffible Place, that is, in the upper Part of the Hive, if it has no Lid that can be taken up; but if it has one, they leave empty Honeycombs in the upper Part, and depofit the Honey in the middle of the Hive.

Of several other Particulars concerning Bees.

Efides what we have already obferv'd concerning Bees, Nature has endow'd them with other Talents, which we judge to be worth remarking. They love Property, and there is nothing they will not undertake to preferve it. They use the Glue which they gather, to mafticate the Glaffes round the Hive, and even the Hive it felf round the Foot-stall, so that they can by this Means hinder the least Infects to get in.

There are Bees that watch the Mouth or Entrance of the Hive, to oppose those Infects

that

that would get in that Way; and when one Bee is not strong enough, feveral others come in to her Affiftance.

It would be too tedious to recount all the Remarkables we have obferv'd upon this Ocfion; let it fuffice that a Snail, which forced her Way into the Hive, notwithstanding the Efforts of feveral Bees, after they had killed her with their Stings, was found cover'd all over with this Maftick or Glue, as if they defign'd thereby either to hinder the Stink her Flesh might make in the Hive, or to hinder the Production of Worms from the Putrefaction.

Nature has furnish'd Bees with a most exquifite Smell, for they will scent the Honey and Wax at a great Distance.

They have divers Ways that would make a Man apt to believe that they have Underftanding; they are alfo fubject to fight and kill one another, not only in a fingle Combat, but in a Body; which yet does not usually happen, unless it be in the Autumn, when the Stock of Honey is not enough to fupport the whole Swarm during the Winter.

They feem to have fome Knowledge of good and bad Weather: For they not only keep within when there is any likelihood of bad Weather, but when any Storm happens when they are abroad, they avoid it by quitting their Work, and returning to the Hive almost all together, and with much Precipitation; they do the fame when they are furpriz'd in the Fields by fome Rain, tho' bụt little.

Nothing agrees better than Heat with Bees, the more intense it is, the more they are animated to, and the more active at, their Work; Cold, on the contrary, is very injurious to them And let them be never fo vigorous when they are in the Hive, if they go out of it in Winter-time, they are fo feiz'd therewith, that they appear to be almoft immediately motionless; but if you do not delay to bring 'em near a Fire, the Heat it yields will restore them to their former Vigour.

To fortify themselves against Cold in the Winter-Seafon, they place themselves in the Middle of the Hive, as near one another as they can, in that Space which lies between two Honeycombs; there they agitate their Bodies from time to time without changing Place, and this Motion excites a Heat, which fecures them from external Cold, and is often fo confiderable, that it is communicated to the Glaffes of the Hive. It's likely, that they fucceed one another in this Work, for there is a continued Motion, Night and Day, in the Hive; and there are fome of them which take their Reft in the Day-time: And this Reft even conduces to the Benefit of the Publick, for their Prefence in the Hive helps the Heat, by the Means of which the young ones inclos'd in the Cells are hatch'd; which we have found true by the following Experiment.

We have fometimes taken off a Piece of a Honeycomb, in whofe Cells there were young Worms, and left it in the Bottom of the Hive, and found a great Number of Bees fitting upon these Combs, where they continu'd till the young ones came out perfect Bees, after which

they

they wholly forfook the Combs; this alfo fhews the Care which the common Bees take of the Young.

We have taken Notice of the feveral Ways and Motions by which they understand one another For Example, when a Bee is at work upon the Combs, and requires Honey of another which brings it from abroad, fhe that wants the Honey extends her Trump, and takes it from between the other's Jaws; and as the one difcharges the Honey through that Part, the other receives it with her Trump without fpilling a Drop; they likewife understand one another, when by the Motion of their Wings they require to be. difburden'd of the Wax which they have ga, ther'd in the Fields, and alfo in the Morning they excite one another to go out to Work. Laftly, When feveral Bees have a mind to quit a Place, if one makes a Motion with her Wings that causes a small Sound, all the reft, according to her Example, make the fame Motion, and retire: I believe this is the Way they give Notice to one another in the Hive, when they make ready to go forth and fwarm.

TH

Of the Drones.

HE Drones are ufually one third thicker and longer than the Bees; they have a rounder Head, and are more thickly cover'd with Hair: It's certain they have no Sting, and that their inward Parts differ from thofe of common Bees.

They are feldom feen out of the Hives, and when they do go forth, it is about two or three in the Afternoon, and never but in fair Weather. They do not return laden with Wax, but we have found their Bladder full of Honey like the other Bees, which they have either gather'd in the Fields, or taken from the Hive before they fet out, which laft is moft likely; for we could never see them alight upon the Flowers, neither after their Return to the Hive could we obferve them depofit any Honey in the Cells. We are also of Opinion, that they are not furnish'd with Organs proper to discharge it, as the Bees are; for in Bees, if you squeeze that Part of the Body where the Honey-Bladder lies never fo little, it will presently come out at that Part of the Head through which they are wont to discharge it into the Cell: But it is not fo with the Drones; though after you have

open'd