Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-01-13
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.


upon the Natural History of the Honey
Bee
The industry and wonderful instinct of this
little insect was eloquently set forth by the
speaker. The hexagonal cell Of the bee was
demonstrated 10 be Just that mathematical
form which combines the greatest capacity
with the least expenditure of wax. square
or triangular form would demand an unneces-
ssry expenditure Of wax; cylindrical form
would, by the intsrstices occurring between
the cells, occasion a waste OF space. The
popular idea that the bee procures Its wax
and honey direct from flowers was shown to
be an error The material is obtained from
flowers, but requires elaboration prior to
taking the shape of wax and honey.
The lecturer showed, by illustrations upon
the wall, the curious manner in which the
bees hang in clusters while celebrating the
wax in thin scales upon the breast-a process
equiring some twenty four hours-and of the
manner In which the first deposit of wax is
made upon the roof of the hive on the COM
mencement Of building operations. The labor
in bee hive was as systematically divided as
amongst body Of mechanics it was indeed
asserted that master bee overlooks the Ope-
rations Of the other workmen, and where q
bad piece Of work is done, causes il to be
pulled down and rebuilt, precisely as a master
mechanic would do in similar circumstances
The lecturer would not, however, vouch for
the trutn OF THIS statement
Amongst bees there was no law prohibiting
females from mounting the throne; on the
contrary, no male was permitted to assume the
sovereignty. The queen bee allows no rival
near the throne. She attacks and kills, with
the greatest fury, the young queens, her own
offspring, and this by wise ordination of
Providence thus preventing an increase be-
yond the power Of the working bees to feed.
The queen bee Is treated with the greatest
nd
by Der subjects. Should she be distracted
from the hive the whole swarm is thrown into
confusion, work is suspended and all motive
aor exertion seems to be wanting in the alb
sence Of their sovereign. Should she return
they exhibit marks OF satisfaction and resume
their lsbOrs. For twenty four hours after the
departure Of q queen, the swarm will accept
no substitute. After that time they will ac
cept another queen, and irstate her in all the
honors and dignities Of the departed one
Should strange queen poke her snOut into a
hive which has a queen of its own, the bees
form a circle around the intruder, not to do
her honor, but to prevent her departure. The
queen in possession is then summoned, and
TIE two queens are made to fight for the soy
reigIty.
Commenting upon analogous habits Of in
sects and human beings, the lecturer related
an amusing incident that had transpired on
the occasion Of former lecture at the Smith
sonian Institution, the subject being " Tho
Ant" Accompanied on his way to the lee
ture-roOm by two members of Congress, who
were Shareholders, he told them he was going
TO establish that ants were Shareholders, and
that the slaves were black. "0h, !" said they
"be sure and make the most of it :" Laugh
ter
The wonderful fact has been established
that every working bee 10 capable Of being
developed TO a queen bee In case of queen
balm faH nm cfn pf he oIl
having left the hive with q swarm, it had been
asGertaineG that the remaining bees take
common larvae and deposite il in the queenly
cells, where by different food from that dis
Pensed to the working bees, and different
mode Of treatment il is developed with queen
ly size and attributes.
The wonders Of entomology demonstrated
fOrcibly the saying
Truth 10 strange, stranger than felton,
The svsrming Of bees was described by the
lecturer. 1t was merely the departure of a
queen with swarm Of followers from a re
dundant hive. The immediate occasion Of
such an emigration was generally through
a hut taken by the queen bee at being in
terrupted in the slaughter of her offspring by
the other bees, when they deemed she had
gone far enough; thus she usually went of in
high state Of excitement. There were va
riOus modes employed to induce q swarm of
bees TO settle, such as beating tin pans, in
imitation Of thunder, of which they have
dread or throwing sand upon them, to give
them the notion that IL IL raining; and an in
, stance was related of an old gentleman who
had q way Of leading . swarm TO any req uired
locality by peculiar mode of whiStlIns, The
atmosphere of a crowded hive is close and hot,
but the bees by motion Of their wings venti-
late il until enough swarms have been thrown
OF to render the labor unnecessary. Despe-
rate conflicts occur between bees, sometimes
lasting for days They are duelists, thieves
and highway robbers. They compel the pom.
pous humble bee to disgOrge his honey In
.he sense Of smell the bee is very acute, its
sight is also very keen, enabling it to wing
ats flight 20 its own hive with unerring ac-
euraey. In the whirl OF bees, when the air is
fllce With them, We never see tgo bees jostle.
The other senses of the bee are also acute.
The fact was stated that the bee cannot re-
peat its sting many times, the poison beconl-
ing exhausted. Should the sting, which is
barbed, remain in the wound, the bee dies
Some persons are not affected by the sting of
the bee, while others die Of IL. The lecturer,
however, expressed the opinion that Bhere
death resulted il must be owing TO the coadi-
ton Of the blood Of The victim. lie discredited
the truth Of the repor: that young man out
Yves: had died lately fh.;n spider bite 1t
required more evidence to establish the fact
Of a spider bite resulting fatally.
"Wednesday and Friday nights Of this week.
The next lecture will be upon " Natural His
tory as applied TO Farming and Gardening"
and will merit the attention of the members
ot tie United states Agricultural Society, who
NEE; 20 the Institute en- the same day.
BALL AND SUPPER OF TIE ASSOCIATED
BOoKBISDBRs.-We have but limited space
70 day TO do justice 20 this fne entertainment,
and therefore say in brief bat emphatic terms
chat 1t was IN all respects first class affair.
The managers, with the generous whole soul
edEess characteristic of the craft, not only
perfor ned all they promised, but much mJre
The supper tables, as spread by Potentini
made most tempting display and amongst
the confectionery triIHphs in his department
We were particularly psS2sed with one repre-.
sentirg bookbinder presz, upon which a
book was beisg bound also, one representing
fountain, with sugar spray Of go.rameT
fneness. Esputa "spread himself for the
occasion IN the musical department, in a