The Baltimore County union., 1882-01-07

.M Il
sense oil hearing. kirDy, who wroteSa
most valuable monograph on bees, esti-
mated that there are about two hundred
and fifty species Of them in England
II is generally supposed that those bees
which are lpeculiar to the New World
are destitute of all offensive weapons.-
HumboldtA however, explains that they
have stings. though comparatively feeble
ones, and they use them very seldom
only, in short, when irritated and forced
to defend themselves. While seated on
the peak over Caracas, in South Amer
ica, he tells us, determining the dip
of the needle, found my hands cover
cd with species of hairy bee, little
smaller than the honey bees of the north
OF Europe. These insects make their
nests in the ground; they seldom fly,
and from the slowness Of their move
ments should have supposed they were
benumbed by the cold OF the mountain.
The people call them 0ngclIloS (li,tlc
angels because they very seldom sting"
Among the numerous tribes Of leaf.cut-
ting and mason bees common in Eng
land, most possessors OF garden must
have noticed the ravagcs Of the mcsd-
chile 1eRinRfHkGJTS, one of the former
class. II is much smaller than the hive
bee, and cuts little segments, as clear as
il punched out by 4 machine, from the
leaves of roses and peas. The opera
tion is very speedily performed when
the bee has once made her choice the
strong mandibles 90 TO work, and soon
the bee flies OFF with her green load
Ii followed, it will be found that her
nest is situated in some palisade or gate
post. The creature runs her tunnels
into the wood by means of these same
powerful jaws, and then lines them with
the pieces of leaf. They are not fas,en-
cd together, but the cells are honey
tight, and rs fast As they are lined with
leaves, an egg is dropped into each.-
Perhaps Virgil, Pliny and the other an
cient writers who speak OF bees carrying
ballast TO steady themselves in windy
weather, had witnessed the doings of
leaf cutting bees and confounded them
with hive-becs.
The working bee never lives longer
than nine months; they labor so inces-
sanity that it is supposed that they never
sleep. The daily consumption and
waste OF 4 large hive OF lees in summer
may be taken at two pounds of honey ;
IL will show the industry of the working
bees to bear in mind, that, beyond this.
such 4 hive in favorable weather will
often accumulate honey TO the amoun,
OF four and six pounds daily. Indeed,
il is upon record that hive once gain
cd twenty pounds weight of il in two
days II is curious that even 4 Wild
hive OF bees can soon be taught to
recognize and refrain from attacking
people who approach them. No Won
der that the ancients esteemed them di-
vine that their poet laureate, accord
ing TO the Platonic philosophy, assigned
them "a participation in the Supreme
Mind and in heavenly influences and
that another speaks of their powers OF
presaging wind and fine weather.
Modern science points out that the
fructiiying of many flowers is due to the
labors of bees in mingling the pollen /;
and most gardeners have noticed the
difficulty of preserving pure strain OF
any plant when these active workmen
have access TO other varieties of it.
Droncs were ancicntly esteemed i'm
perfect bees-the slaves OF the true bees.
They work but little, says the great
naturalist of old days, but that little and
the heat they cause is useful in hive.
IL is now known tha; drones are really
the males of the community, the gay
young bachelors that WOO the queen
when swarming time arrives. They
have ever served morality as an awful
example to hold up to the young; for
they never think Of working, and j; is
questioned whether, in the midst Of
plenty, they even take the trouble to
feed themselves. Certain it is, that
working bees have frequently been seen
feeding them, much as a bird supplies
her gaping young ones. But notwith-
standing the care taken Of them in time
Of plenty, their idleness never fails to
receive is due reward. A suitable Ne
mesis always pursues them; they are,
after a time, thrust out Of the hive to
perish Of starvation, or else actually
murdered. Stingless and lazy, every
one must have seen them just before
winter, sitting on a bough, or feebly
catching the last rays OF the sun. Death
is then already laying his hand upon
ihem.-EhITeh'S Fashion Qaararrlr.