onfine them at home for several weeks together.
And the bees of Senegal, which differ from those of Europe only in size,
make their honey not only superior to ours in delicacy of flavour, but it
has this singularity, that it never concretes, but remains liquid as syrup,
(Adanson). From some observations of Mr. Wildman, and of other people of
veracity, it appears, that during the severe part of the winter season for
weeks together the bees are quite benumbed and torpid from the cold, and do
not consume any of their provision. This state of sleep, like that of
swallows and bats, seems to be the natural resource of those creatures in
cold climates, and the making of honey to be an artificial improvement.

As the death of our hives of bees appears to be owning to their being kept
so warm, as to require food when their stock is exhausted; a very observing
gentleman at my request put two hives for many weeks into a dry cellar, and
observed, during all that time, they did not consume any of their
provision, for their weight did not decrease as it had done when they were
kept in the open air. The same observation is made in the Annual Register
for 1768, p. 113. And the Rev. Mr. White, in his Method of preserving Bees,
adds, that those on the north side of his house consumed less honey in the
winter than those on the south side.

There is another observation on bees well ascertained, that they at various
times, when the season begins to be cold, by a general motion of their legs
as they hang in clusters produce a degree of warmth, which is easily
perceptible by the hand. Hence by this ingenious exertion, they for a long
time prevent the torpid state they would naturally fall into.

According to the late observations of Mr. Hunter, it appears that the
bee's-wax is not made from the dust of the anthers of flowers, which they
bring home on their thighs, but that this makes what is termed bee-bread,
and is used for the purpose of feeding the bee-maggots; in the same manner
butterflies live on honey, but the previous caterpillar lives on vegetable
leaves, while the maggots of large flies require flesh for their food, and
those of the ichneumon fly require insects for their food. What induces the
bee who lives on honey to lay up vegetable powder for its young? What
induces the butterfly to lay its eggs on leaves, when itself feeds on
honey? What induces the other flies to seek a food for their progeny
different from what they consume