Observations on certain parts of the animal oeconomy. Inclusive of several papers from the Philosophical transactions, etc / by John Hunter ... With notes by Richard Owen.
- John Hunter
- Date:
- 1840
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Observations on certain parts of the animal oeconomy. Inclusive of several papers from the Philosophical transactions, etc / by John Hunter ... With notes by Richard Owen. Source: Wellcome Collection.
427/494 page 419
![animals known ;* yet this may arise from cultivation, in consequence of which they have been brought into climates where of themselves they would not have come.+ Insects are so small and so few of them are capable of being domesticated, that the duration of their life is not easily ascertained ; therefore we are to rely more on circumstantial than on positive or demonstrative proof, and perhaps the life of the common bee may be Jeast in our power to know, for their numbers in the same so- ciety make it almost impossible to be ascertained. From their form- ing a colony or society, which keeps stationary, the continuance of this society 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 society, for the males die the same year they are formed. From their fixing on the branches of trees, under projecting exposed surfaces, when they swarm, we should be in- clined to suppose that they were animals of a warm climate ; yet their providing liberally for the change of climate, or rather for a change of season, would, on the contrary, make us believe they were adapted for changeable climates, or rather these two circum- stances should make us suppose they were fitted for both, and their universality proves it. And I do conceive that in a pretty uniform warm climate their ceconomy may be somewhat different from what it is in the changeable, as they would not be under the same neces- sity to lay up so much store, and probably might employ their cells in breeding, for a much longer period; however, a good climate agrees with them best, as also a good season in an indifferent cli- mate, such as Britain. We find the common bee in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. That they may be, or should be,in the _ three first is easily supposed, but how they came to America is not so readily conceived; for although a kind of manageable animal, yet they do not like such long confinement in their hives as would carry them to the West Indies, excepting in an ice-house ; for when I have endeavoured to confine them in their hives they have been so restless as to destroy themselves. The female and the working bee, 1 believe in every species, have stings, which renders them an animal of offence, 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 sel- dom or never with their stings. As this belongs more to the labour- ers, it shall be considered when I treat of them in particular. Of the whole bee tribe, the common bee is the easiest irritated ; for as * [The humble bee was found by Captain Parry in Melville Island, Arctic circle. tT the true honey bee (.4pts mellifica) was originally limited in its gecgraphical range to the old world, whence it has been transported to America and other colo- nies, where it is now acclimated. The distinguished entomologist Latreille, on whose authority we state this fact, finds that the hive bee of the south and east of Europe and that of Egypt differ specifically from the Apis mellifica of the west of Europe.]](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b33292292_0427.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
