Chapter I: Front Matter

Transcriber Note

Text emphasis denoted as _Italics_. Whole and fractional parts of numbers as 123-4/5. The ERRATA and ADDENDA (p. xvii) have been applied.

THE HONEY-BEE:

ITS NATURE, HOMES, AND PRODUCTS.

THE HONEY-BEE

ITS NATURE, HOMES, AND PRODUCTS.

BY

W. H. HARRIS, B.A., B.Sc.

LONDON:

THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY,

56, Paternoster Row; 65, St. Paul's Churchyard,

and 164, Piccadilly.

LONDON:

R. Clay, Sons, and Taylor, Printers,

BREAD STREET HILL.

CONTENTS.

PAGES

INTRODUCTION.

1-3

CHAPTER I.

HISTORIC SKETCH.

Holy Scriptures--Vedas--Egyptian Monuments--The Koran--
Etymological Considerations--Literature of Subject--
Aristotle--Philiscus--Pliny--Vergil--Columella--Other
Classical Authors--Shakespeare--Modern Writers.

4-9

CHAPTER II.

NATURAL HISTORY.

Orders of Insects--Stages of Development--Egg, Larva, Pupa,
Imago or Perfect Insect--Three Classes of Bees: Queen,
Drones, Workers.

10-16

CHAPTER III.

THE QUEEN-BEE.

Early Errors as to Sex--The "Mother Bee"--Distinguishing
Characteristics--Functions--Attentions paid her--Effects
of Loss; how Repaired by Bees--Enmity to Rivals--Length of
Life--Egg-laying.

17-28

CHAPTER IV.

THE DRONES.

Distinguishing Characteristics--Time of Hatching--Numbers--
Purposes served by them--Destruction by Workers or other
means--Unusual Survival.

29-34

CHAPTER V.

THE WORKERS.

Distinguishing Characteristics--Supposed Differences of
Function among them--Sir John Lubbock's Experiments--
Fertile Workers--Length of Life--"Black Bees"--Duties
of Workers.

35-43

CHAPTER VI.

HONEY.

Origin--How Collected and Stored--Constitution--Poisonous
Honey--Best varieties of Honey--Distances traversed by
Bees in search of Honey--Uses

44-48

CHAPTER VII.

MEAD.

Nature--Method of Manufacture--Metheglin and Mead--Estimation
in former times--Queen Elizabeth's Recipe--Scandinavian
liking for Mead.

49-52

CHAPTER VIII.

WAX.

Origin--Production--Chemical Constitution--Comb-Building--
Detailed Description--Amount of Wax in Hives--Commercial
Value--Properties.

53-71

CHAPTER IX.

POLLEN, OR BEE-BREAD.

Origin--Collection--Conveyance--Deposition--Quantity
Stored--Uses--Artificial Substitutes.

72-75

CHAPTER X.

PROPOLIS.

Derivation of Word--Sources--Nature--Purposes--Quantity
Collected--Adaptation of Materials to Wants of Bees.

76-79

CHAPTER XI.

PHYSIOLOGY OF THE BEE.

Nervous System--The Head--Eyes--Compound and Simple--Uses
and Powers--Sir John Lubbock's Experiments--The Antennæ
--Structure and Uses--Mouth--Detailed Description.

80-100

CHAPTER XII.

HEARING, TASTE, AND SMELLING.

Hearing--Sir John Lubbock's Experiments--Sounds uttered by
Queen--Effects produced by them--Smell-Organs--Purposes
--Liking for, and Antipathy to, certain Effluvia--
Discovery by Bees of Nectar and Honey

101-108

CHAPTER XIII.

THE THORAX.

Detailed Description--Legs--Wings--How used in Flight--
Hooking together--Employed for Ventilating.

109-114

CHAPTER XIV.

THE ABDOMEN.

Respiratory Organs--Circulation of Nutritive Fluid--
Digestion and Nutrition--Secretion of Wax--Reproductive
Organs--Detailed description of Sting--Effects of
Poison--Queen's Sting.

115-128

CHAPTER XV.

THE DISEASES OF BEES.

Dysentery: How Produced--Indications--Treatment.
Foul-Brood: two kinds--Nature--Propagation. Mr.
Cheshire's Discoveries and Treatment--Fatal Effects of
Disease--Detection--Vertigo--Analogy of Human and Bee
Diseases.

129-138

CHAPTER XVI.

THE ENEMIES OF BEES.

Birds--Mice--Moths--_Braula cœca_--Hornets and Wasps--
Spiders--Toads--"Robber Bees"--Prevention of robbing.

139-147

CHAPTER XVII.

HIVES.

Natural Abodes of Wild Bees--Taking Honey from Roof of
House--Straw Skeps--Cottager's Hive--Supering--Nutt's
Collateral Hive--Village Hive--Woodbury Hive--
Abbott's Hives--Sectional Supering--Stewarton Hive--
Carr-Stewarton Hive--Observatory Hives--Bee-houses.

148-170

CHAPTER XVIII.

NATURAL SWARMING.

General Facts connected with Swarming--Reconnoitring--
Settling--Hiving--Curious Incidents--Transferring
Swarms to Bar-Frame Hives--Division of Swarms--Placing
Swarm in Permanent Position-Number of Bees in Swarming
--"Casts" and Later Swarms--Prevention of Swarming--
Feeding of Swarms.

171-186

CHAPTER XIX.

ARTIFICIAL SWARMING.

Advantages--Driving: Close and Open--Transfer to
Bar-Frame Hive--Conditions of Successful Driving--
Various Methods of Artificial Swarming with
Bar-Frame Hives.

187-195

CHAPTER XX.

QUEEN REARING.

Protection of Queen-cells--Nucleus Hives--Various Methods
of Queen Rearing--American Plan--Introduction of
Stranger Queens--Difficulties.

196-200

CHAPTER XXI.

FEEDING.

Troughs--Dangers of this Method--Bottle Feeders--Cheshire's
Feeding Stage--Neighbour's Can Feeder--The "Round Feeder"
--Autumn Feeding--Spring Feeding--Uses of Precautions--
Summer Feeding of Swarms--Flour-cake--Barley-sugar or
Sugar-cake--Mr. Hunter's Recipe.

201-213

CHAPTER XXII.

WINTERING BEES.

False and True Hybernation--Temperature of Hive in
Winter--Necessity for Quiet during Winter--Structure and
Winter-packing of Bar-Frame Hives--Prevention of Draught
and Condensation of Vapour--Supply of Water.

214-220

CHAPTER XXIII.

BEE-STINGS.

Gentleness necessary in Manipulation--Causes of Irritation
of Bees--Examination of Stocks--Treatment of Stings--
Remedies--Effects of Stings--Inoculation--Bee Dress--
Smoke and its Uses.

221-228

CHAPTER XXIV.

PASSIONS AND EMOTIONS OF BEES.

Affection for Queen and Brood--Recognition of Friends and
Strangers--Fear--Anger--Covetousness--Benevolence--
Remorse--Hope--Instinctive or Sense-action.

229-233

CHAPTER XXV.

INTELLECT AND INSTINCT IN BEES.

Intellect in Man and Animals as Related to Immortality--
Memory--Judgment--Instances of Attention--Prevision--
Provision--Instinct--Manifestations--Bearing on
Evolution.

234-243

CHAPTER XXVI.

BEES IN RELATION TO FLOWERS.

Connection of Plant-life and Insect-life--Reproduction of
Flowers--Intervention of Insects--Hermaphrodite Flowers
--Cross-fertilisation--Cucumbers, Melons, &c.--Poplars
--Firs--Epilobium or Willow Herb--Cincerarias--Darwin's
Experiments--Nasturtium--Foxglove--Figwort--Salvia--
Heath--Strawberry, Raspberry, and Blackberry--Apple and
Pear--Altruism of Bees.

244-258

CHAPTER XXVII.

SUPERSTITIONS CONNECTED WITH BEES.

Superstitions likely to gather around Bees--Unlucky to Buy
Bees--Ill Omen for a Swarm to Settle on a Dry Stick--
"Have the Bees been told?"--Turning Hives on the Death
of the Owner--Probable Origin of these Errors.

259-267