Fourthly, That fresh colonies carry in very little, if any, of this matter, for some days after swarming, though combs are formed within that period. I noticed this fact in my first colony: the swarm issued from the parent hive on the 18th of May;--five days of rainy weather succeeded: during this period the bees were prevented from flying abroad; I fed them nightly with sugared ale, and before the return of fine weather a considerable quantity of comb was formed. Now excepting such materials as the bees might have brought with them from the parent hive, in this case, the sugared ale alone must have been the source of the wax. +Huish+ has remarked that unless bees have access to water, and also to sugar or honey, no comb can be formed. Again, it may be observed, that upon the storifying plan, when fresh works are commenced in the duplets or triplets, if the farina were the basis of the combs, an increased quantity should be carried in. On the contrary, though I have watched the bees very minutely on these occasions, I scarcely ever witnessed the introduction of farina; and in such rare instances as I did observe it, it might fairly be regarded as food for the young larvæ of the bees contained in the full box or boxes. "No pearly loads they bear; but o'er the field Round flower and fruit the lithe proboscis wield. From meal-tipp'd anthers steal the lacquer'd crown, And brush from rind or leaf the silvery down. Nay oft, when threaten'd storms or drizzling rain. Close in their walls, th' impatient hosts detain, E'en from the yellow hoard's nectareous rill, Their tubes secerning can a stream distil, Clear and untinctur'd as the fountain wave, That glides, slow trickling, thro' the crevic'd cave. But, as that welling wave, around the stone, In rings concentric, wreathes its sparry zone. So filter'd thro' yon flutterer's folded mail. Clings the cool'd +wax+, and hardens to a scale." +Evans.+