not extraordinary; and that they by thefe winds, is there warmed and fhould gradually ceafe and die away, faturated with water: and, a great upon being warmed by a contact with accumulation of air upon the fea being the waters of the ocean, is likewife the neceffary confequence of the long agreeable to the nature and caufes of continuance of thefe cold winds from their motion; and if I might be al- the fhore, upon their ceafing the warm lowed a conjecture refpecting the breezes from the fea neceffarily comprincipal use of the feas, or the reafon mence, and, fpreading themselves why the proportion of water upon upon the land far and wide, affist the the furface of our globe is fo great, returning fun in dismantling the earth compared to that of the land, it is to of the remains of her winter garment, maintain a more equal temperature in and in bringing forward into life all the different climates, by heating or the manifold beauties of the new-born cooling the winds which at certain year. periods blow from the great conti nents. That cold winds actually grow much milder upon paffing over the fea, and that hot winds are refreshed by a contact with its waters, is very certain; and it is equally certain that the winds from the ocean are, in all climates, much more temperate than those which blow from the land. In the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, there is not the leaft doubt but the great mildness of the climate is entirely owing to their feparation from the neighbouring continent by fo large a tract of fea; and in all fimilar fituations, in every part of the globe, fimilar caufes are found to pro duce fimilar effects. The cold north-west winds, which prevail upon the coaft of North America during the winter, feldom extend above 100 leagues from the fhore, and they are always found to be lefs violent, and lefs piercing, as they are further from the land. Thefe periodical winds from the continents of Europe and North America prevail moft toward the end of the month of February, and in the month of March; and I conceive that they contribute very effentially toward bringing on an early spring, and a fruitful fummer, particularly when they are very violent in the month of March, and if at that time the ground, is well covered with fnow. The whole atmosphere of the polar regions being, as it were, tranfported into the ocean This warmed air which comes in from the sea, having acquired its heat from a contact with the ocean, is, of courfe, faturated with water; and hence the warm fhowers of April and May, fo neceffary to a fruitful feafon. The ocean may be confidered as the great refervoir and equalizer of heat; and its benign influences in preferving a proper temperature in the atmofphere operate in all seasons and in all climates. The parching winds from the land under the torrid zone are cooled by a contact with its waters, and, in return, the breezes from the sea, which, at certain hours of the day, come into the shores in almost all hot countries, bring with them refreshment, and, as it were, new life and vigour both to the animal and vegetable creation, fainting and melting under the exceffive heats of a burning fun. What a vast tract of country, now the molt fertile upon the face of the globe, would be absolutely barren and uninhabitable on account of the exceffive heat, were it not for these refreshing fea-breezes? And is it not more than probable, that the extremes of heat and of cold in the different seasons in the temperate and frigid zones would be quite intolerable, were it not for the influence of the ocean in preferving an equability of temperature ? And to thefe purposes the ocean is wonderfully well adapted, not only on account of the great power of wa ter ter to abforb heat, and the vaft depth and extent of the different feas (which are fuch that one fummer or one winter could hardly be fuppofed to have any fenfible effect in heating or cooling this enormous mafs) but also on account of the continual circulation which is carried on in the ocean itself, by means of the currents which prevail in it. The waters under the torrid zone being carried by these currents toward the polar regions, are there cooled by a contact with the cold winds, and, having thus communicated their heat to these inhofpitable regions, return toward the equa tor, carrying with them refreshment for those parching climates. The wisdom and goodness of Providence have often been called in queftion with regard to the diftribution of land and water upon the furface of our globe, the vast extent of the ocean having been confidered as a proof of the little regard that has been paid to man in this distribution. But, the more light we acquire relative to the real conflitution of things; and the various uses of the different parts of the vifible creation, the less we fhall be difpofed to indulge ourselves in fuch frivolous criticisms. General Obfervations on BEES: By JOHN HUNTER, Efq. HE common bee, from a num- entertain along with inftruation, heavy eco nomy, has called forth the attention of the curious; and, from the profit arifing from its labours, it has become the object of the interested; therefore, no wonder it has excited univerfal attention, even from the favage to the moft civilized people: but it has hardly been confidered by the anatomift; at least two modes of investigation have not gone fo much hand in hand, as they ought to have done. The hiftory of the bee has rather been confidered as a fit fubject for the curious at large, whence more has been conceived, than obferved. Swammerdam, indeed, has rather erred on the other fide, having, with great industry, been very minute on the particular ftructure of the bee. I fhall here obferve, that it is commonly not only unneceffary to be minute in our defcription of parts in natural history, but in general improper. It is unneceffary, when it does not apply to any thing, but the thing itself, more especially if it be of no confequence; but whenever it applies, then it fhould fo far be treated accurately. Minutiæ beyond what is effential, tire the mind, and render that which fhould if the parts are small, where the fenfe can only take them in fingly, and the mind can hardly comprehend the whole, or apply all the parts combined to any confequent action. This has been too much the cafe with Swammerdam; he often atrempted. too much accuracy in his defcription of minute things. But the natural hiftory of infects has not been fuffici ently understood at large, fo as to throw light on this fubject where there was an analogy, and where, without fuch analogy, it must appear in the bee alone unintelligible, from the obfcurity attending fome parts of their economy; for there is hardly any fpecies of animals but what has fome of its economy obfcure; and probably this is as much fo in this infect, as in any other clafs of animals we are at one feason of the year almost daily feeing; yet thefe parts of the economy may be evident in fome other fpecies of the fame tribe or genus, and thus be cleared up, from analogy, fo that the fpecies affift each other in their demonftration. This is evident in the whole tribe of flying infects, for what is loft, or cannot be made out in the one, may be demonftrated in another and we find there are fome things in the economy of the bee that cannot be feen or demonstrated in it alone, but which are evident in fome other infects; and while they poffefs the fame parts, and other circumftances are fimilar, we must conclude the uses of those parts are fimilar in both; for whenever a circumftance in one animal cannot be found out in that animal, but can in another, then the natural conclufion is, that the uses are fimilar in both Though the bee may be claffed in fome degree among the domestic animals, yet from there being fuch a cluster of them, and because they are an offenfive and irritable animal, their actions are rendered very obscure, and can only be observed by little ftarts; often we can only fee the effects, which renders the knowledge of their economy ftill imperfect; they would in many cases seem to evade our wishes; they often remove out of our fight part of their economy, when they can. Thus they often remove their eggs and young. Many quadrupeds do this, as cats, &c. and i have reafon to believe, that birds can remove their eggs, at least I have reason to suspect the fparrow of this. As the bee is an infect, it has most things peculiar to that clafs of animals: iuch as are common are not to be taken notice of in the hiftory of this infect, but only its peculiarities which distinguish it from all others, and conftitute it to be a bee; and as bees form a large tribe of infects, it is the more fingular peculiarities that conftitute a diftinct fpecies of this tribe. As most parts of the economy of infects have not been in every respect understood, and although now known in fome infects, yet cannot be obferved in the bee, but which accord with many circumstances attending this infect, therefore fuch must be brought into the present hiftory of the bee, to render it more complete. I fhall not be minute in the anatomy of this animal, as that would be too tedious and uninteresting. When we talk of the In economy of the colony, fuch as the fecreting wax, making combs, collecting farina, honey, feeding the maggots, covering in the chryfalis, and the honey, ftinging, &c. it is the labouring bees that are meant. purfuing any fubject, most things come to light as it were by accident; that is, many things arife out of inveftigation that were not at first conceived, and even misfortunes in experiments have brought things to our knowledge that were not, and probably could not have been previously conceived: on the other hand, I have often devised experiments by the firefide, or in my carriage, and have also conceived the refult; but when I tried the experiment, the refult was different; or I found that the experiment could not be attended with all the circumftances that were fuggefted. As bees, from their numbers, hide very much their operations, it is neceffary to have fuch contrivances as will explore their economy. Hives, with glafs lights in them, often shew fome of their operations, and when wholly of glafs, ftill more; but as they form fuch a cluster, and begin their comb in the center, little can be feen till their work becomes enlarged, and, by that time, they have produced a much larger quantity of bees, fo as ftill to obfcure their progrefs. Very thin glass hives are the best calculated for expofing their operations; the distance from fide to fide about three inches; of a height and length fufficient for a fwarm of bees to complete one fummer's work in. As one perpendicular comb, the whole length and height of the hive, in the centre, dividing it into two, is the best pofition for expofing their operations, it is neceffary to give them a lead or direction to form it fo; therefore it is proper to make a ridge along the top from end to end, in the centre, between the two fides, for they like to begin the comb from an eminence; if we wished to have them transverse, or oblique, it would only be neceffary to make tranfverfe, or oblique ridges in in the hive. I had one made of two broad pieces of plate-glafs, with glafs ends, which antwered for fimple expofure very well; but I often faw operations going on, when I wished to have caught fome of the bees, or to take out a piece of comb, &c. therefore I had hives made of the fame fhape and fize, but with different panes of glafs, each pane opening with hinges, fo that if I faw any thing going on that I wished to examine more minutely or immediately, I opened the pane at this part, and executed what I wished, as much as was in my power; this I was obliged to do with great caution, as often the comb was fastened to the glass at this part. When I faw fome operations going on, the dates or periods of which I wished to afcertain, fuch as the time of laying eggs, of hatching, &c. I made a little dot with white paint oppofite to the cell where the egg was la'd, and put down the date. From thefe animals forming colonies, and from a vaft variety of effects being produced, and with a degree of attention and nicety, that feem even to vie with man; man, not being in the leaft jealous, has wished to bestow on them more than they poffefs, viz. a reasoning faculty; while every action is only inftinctive, and what they cannot avoid or alter, except from neceffity, not from fancy. They have been fuppofed to be legiflators, even mathematicians: indeed, upon a fuperficial view, there is fome fhew of reafon for such fuppofitions; but people have gone much further, and have filled up from their imagination every blank, but in fo unnatural a way, that one reads it, as if it were the defcription of a monster. Probably, the beft way of treating the history of this infect, is only to defcribe what is, and the reader will immediately fee where authors have been inventing; however, there are fome affertions that fhould be particularly taken notice of, fuch as forming queen bees at pleasure. Countries that have but little variety in their seasons may have infects, whofe economy is well adapted to this uniformity, and which would not be fuited to a climate whose seasons are very different; for infects of countries, whofe feafons are strongly marked, as in this, have a period in their life which it is little in our power to inveftigate, and can fcarcely be dif covered but by accident, for experiments often give little affiftance; therefore we are obliged to fill up this blank by reasoning, and from analogy, where we have any. This period is principally the winter, in those infects who live through that season. Animals of feafon are fomewhat like moft vegetables; while the common bee is only an animal of seasons in the common actions of life, or what may be called its voluntary actions, and therefore is fomewhat like the human fpecies, fuited to every country; which may be the reafon why it is fo univerfal an animal, for I believe bees are one of the most univerfal animals known: yet this may arife from cultivation, in confequence of which, they have been brought into climates, where, of themselves, they would not have come. Infects are fo fmall, and fo few of them are capable of being domefticated, that the duration of their life is not eafily ascertained; therefore we are to rely more on circumftantial, than on pofitive or demonftrative proof; and perhaps the life of the common bee may be leaft in our power to know, for their numbers in the fame fociety make it almost impoffible to be ascertained. From their forming a colony, or fociety, which keeps ftationary, the continuance of this fociety is known, but to what age the individual lives, is not known; we are certain, however, that it is only the labourers and queens that continue the fociety, for the males die the fame year they are formed. From their fixing on the branches of trees, under projecting expofed furfaces, when they fwarm, we fhould be inclined to fuppofe that they were animals of a warm climate; yet their providing liberally for the change of climate, or rather for a change of feafon, would, on the contrary, make us believe they were adapted for changeable climates; or rather, thefe two circumstances fhould make us fuppofe they were fitted for both; and their univerfality proves it. And I do conceive, that in a pretty uniform warm climate, their economy may be somewhat different from what it is in the changeable, as they would not be under the fame neceffity to lay up fo much store, and probably might employ their cells in breeding, for a much longer period: however, a good climate agrees with them beft, as alfo a good feason in an indifferent climate, fuch as Britain. We find the common bee in Europe, Afia, Africa, and America: That they may be, or fhould be in the three firft, is cafily fuppofed, but how they came to America is not fo readily conceived; for although a kind of manageable animal, yet they do not like fuch long confinement in their hives, as would carry them to the Weft-Indies, excepting in an icehoufe; for when I have endeavoured to confine them in their hives, they have been fo reftlefs as to destroy themselves. The female and the working bee, I believe, in every fpecies have ftings, which renders them an animal of of fence, indeed, but rather of defence; for although they make an attack, I believe it is by way of defence, excepting when they attack one another, which is feldom or never with their ftings. As this belongs more to the labourers, it fhall be confidered when I treat of them in particular. Of the whole bee tribe, the common bee is the eafieft irritated; for as they have property, they are jealous of it, and feem to defend it; but when not near it, they are quiet, and must be hurt before they will fting; with all this difpofition for defence, which is only to fecure their property, or themfelves, when more clofely attacked, yet they have no covetoufnefs, nor a difpofition to obftruct others. Thus two bees or more will be fucking at the fame flower, without the first poffeffor claiming it as his right: a hundred may be about the fame drop of honey, if it is beyond the boundaries of their own right; but what they have collected they defend. It is easily known when they mean to fting; they fly about the object of their anger very quickly, and by the quicknefs of their motion evade being struck or attacked; which is discovered by the found of their wings, as if going to give a stroke as they fly, a very different noife from that of the wings when coming home of a fine evening loaded with farina, or honey; it is then a foft contented noife. When a fingle bee is attacked by feveral others, it seems the most paffive animal poffible, making no refiftance, and even hardly feeming to wish to get away; and in this manner they allow themfelves to be killed. They are perhaps the only infect that feeds in the winter, and therefore the only one that lays up external store; and as all animals, whether infects or not, that keep quiet in the winter, without either eating at all, or eating very little in proportion to what they do in the fummer, grow fat and muscular in the fummer, (which I term internal ftore) we fee why the common bee need not be fatter at one time than another; and accordingly we find them nearly of the fame fatne's the year round. There are accidents befalling hives of bees, that are not eafily accounted for. I had a hive which in the month of November was become quite empty of bees, and upon examination had no honey in it, which was ftrong in the fummer, and had violent at tacks made upon it in October by wafps belonging to a neft in the garden, but appeared quiet when that neft was removed. Upon examining this hive, I found only five dead bees, and not a d op of honey in any one cell: there was a good deal of bee bread in different cells fcattered up and 3 H down |