Until within comparatively recent years it was universally believed that honey was a pure, untouched secretion from the flowers; and that beyond gathering and storing it the bee had no part in its production. This idea, however, is a wholly mistaken one. Honey is a manufactured article, and differs in almost every way from the raw juices obtained from the various flower-crops. The nectar of flowers, before collection by the bee, seems to have hardly any of the constituents of ripe honey. Three-quarters of its bulk consists of plain water, in which about 20 per cent. of cane-sugar is dissolved, the rest being made up of essential oils and gums, which give it its distinctive flavour. But mature honey contains very little water, certainly never more than a sixth part of its bulk. Its sugar is almost entirely grape-sugar. It is decidedly acid, while the nectar is always neutral. And the oils and aromatic principles of the flower juices are matured and developed into the well-known honey flavour, which is like nothing else in the world. It is certain that the process of manufacture begins directly the bee draws the nectar from the flower-cup. As the liquid passes into the honey-sac it is mingled with the acid secretion from the gland at the base of the tongue. When the bee reaches the hive she does not pour her burden direct into the cells, but passes it on to one of the house-bees, who conveys it to the honey-vats. It is even probable that the nectar is transferred a second time before it reaches the cell, although this point is still undecided. The effect of such transference is to add more acid properties to the original juice. The honey seems to undergo a regular brewing process within the hive. It is kept at a temperature of about 80° or 85°, and it is then that the surplus water passes off into vapour. In this way the raw nectar loses at least two-thirds of its natural bulk before it is finally converted into honey. It is said that at the last moment, just before each cell is stopped with an impervious covering of wax, the bee turns herself about, and injects into the honey a drop of the poison from her sting; but there seems to be not the slightest evidence in support of this. The contents of the poison-sac are, it is true, mainly formic acid, which is a strong preservative; and undoubtedly traces of formic acid are to be found in all honeys. It has been, however, conclusively proved that this acid finds its way into the honey from the glandular system of the bee, and not through its sting.