Humanity to Honey-Bees: or, Practical Directions for the Management of Honey-Bees Upon an Improved and Humane Plan, by Which the Lives of Bees May Be Preserved, and Abundance of Honey of a Superior Quality May Be ObtainedNutt, Thomas
Science
Humanity to Honey-Bees: or, Practical Directions for the Management of Honey-Bees Upon an Improved and Humane Plan, by Which the Lives of Bees May Be Preserved, and Abundance of Honey of a Superior Quality May Be Obtained
BEE, says the Farmers' Journal, a small and well-known insect, famous
for its industry. This useful and laborious insect is divided by two
ligaments into three parts or portions,--the head, the breast, and the
belly. The head is armed with two jaws and a trunk, the former of which
play like two jaws, opening and shutting to the right and left; the trunk
is long and tapering, and at the same time extremely pliant and flexible,
being destined by nature for the insect to probe to the bottom of the
flowers, through all the impediments of their chives and foliage, and
drain them of their treasured sweets: but were this trunk to be always
extended, it would prove incommodious, and be liable to be injured by a
thousand accidents; it is therefore of such a structure, that after the
performance of its necessary functions, it may be contracted, or rather
folded up; and besides this, it is fortified against all injuries by
four strong scales, two of which closely sheath it, and the two others,
whose cavities and dimensions are larger, encompass the whole. From the
middle-part or breast of the Bee grow the legs, which are six in number;
and at the extremity of the paws are two little hooks, discernible by the
microscope, which appear like sickles, with their points opposite to each
other.
The wings are four, two greater and two smaller, which not only serve to
transport them through the air, but, by the noise they make, to give
notice of their departure and arrival, and to animate them mutually to
their labours. The hairs, with which the whole body is covered, are of
singular use in retaining the small dust that falls from the chives of
the flowers. The belly of the Bee consists of six rings, which slide over
one another, and may therefore be lengthened or contracted at pleasure;
and the inside of this part of the body contains the intestines,--the
bag of honey,--the bag of poison,--and the sting. The office of the
intestines is the same as in other animals. The bag of honey is
transparent as crystal, containing the sweet juices extracted from the
flowers, which the Bee discharges into the cells of the magazine for the
support of the community in w inter.
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