with useful lessons, or is more fraught with wonder, than the honey bee From the earliest ages it is found to have occupied the thoughts and the pens of the philosopher, the poet, and the moralist; and whether we consider its instincts, or its contributions to our comfort and convenience, there is scarcely one that can compete with it. In testimony of the early notice which it attracted, we have the evidence of Holy Writ, from which it may fairly be inferred that honey must have been one of man's earliest luxuries; and considering the extent of Solomon's knowledge of natural history, I find it difficult to believe that the bee was not one of the creatures which he had in his mind when writing the 30th chapter of Proverbs, in which he says, "there are four things that are little upon the earth, but exceeding wise," viz., ants, _conies_, locusts, and spiders. Unaided by an acquaintance with the Hebrew language, I had hoped to ascertain from some competent Hebrew scholar that the word which was translated conies or rabbits might prove to be an error of some Jewish scribe, and that the word ought to have been translated bees--that, in fact, Solomon meant to designate four insects, not three insects and a rabbit; for the rabbit is not very little, nor a builder of houses in the rocks, neither is it, so far as I know, celebrated for any especial wisdom, whereas the bee not only answers to all these conditions, but has ever stood pre-eminent among insects. The notion which I had formed upon this subject was still farther strengthened by finding that the word which had been translated conies in the generally-received version of the Scriptures was not so rendered in every version of them. This, at any rate, betokened some degree of uncertainty upon the subject, even among the translators of Scripture. In this my difficulty I referred to two eminent Hebrew scholars for enlightenment. They at once decided that, if the word had been rendered bees, it would have been mis-translated. Still they could neither of them affirm conies to be the correct translation. Having thus unsuccessfully endeavoured to vindicate the wisdom of Solomon, I must leave the matter in the state of uncertainty in which I found it, still claiming, however, for my favourite insect that high position which it will, I am sure, be found richly to deserve, not only as a model of industry, sagacity, and loyalty, but as affording, under good management, an interesting and rational amusement to the man of leisure, as well as a source of profit to the bumble cottager, wherever located, for, so universally accommodating is the bee in its habits, that under the fostering care of man it has been found to flourish in every clime to which it has been introduced. Since the period to which I have just referred, viz., between three and four thousand years ago, the bee seems never to have ceased to occupy attention more or less, and through the observations of a succession