out the Hony, Macrobius aſcribeth the ſame to one Saturnus. Others to the Theſſalians. And many to Meliſſus, an auntient King of Creta, others to Naſſus Liber Pater, thus writing, that Liber hath obtayned the renowne for finding out of Honnye.
¶How Bees do naturally engender. Cap. iij.
FIrſte the Bees proceede of Bees, by the actuall doing tegyther, after whiche they lay egges, ſitting uppon them, as the Hens do on their egs. And when they haue ſit on them for the ſpace of xlv daies, then do they hatch their yong ones, whiche yong (at the firſt) come forth, much like to white Worms, except the King, who onely as he is hatched, hath wings. At the firſte time, one of them hatcheth fiue young togither, the nexte time fewer, and ſo fewer & fewer, vntill ſhe commeth to one at a time, bicauſe the abundaunce whiche is in them, dothe in the continuaunce of time weaken. In the time of their ſitting they make muche noiſe to gette them heate withall. And aboute the ſides of the combes, be ſometimes greater Bees bred, which mē for their ſound & noiſe do properly name Trūpeters, and they alſo haue whole homes, of which come the baſtarde Bees. There be alſo other Bees bigger in body, muche-like to the Kings, but they be yale, and haue no ſting, bicauſe of the heauineſſe of their body. All which kindes, Guilielmus de Conchis didde obſerue in the Hyues of a certaine Conſull of Rome, whiche properly were made of verye thinne and cleare horne. Some write, that Bees are alſo engendred and bredde monſtrouſly, and that contrary to Nature, without the mutuall coniunction, if that a whole calfe be buried in the earth, and there lye rotting whiles the wind blow out of the Weſte, for by that meanes, as writeth Maro, doth the ſame breede Bees. And not vnlike to this doeth Cornelius Agrippa in his firſte Booke de Occulta Philoſophia, and Hiero. Cardanus in hys ninth booke of Subtilties write, y of a rotten horſe do waſpes proceede: of an Aſſe, Humble bees: of a Mule, hornettes: of the haire of a woman (hauing then hir motherly courſes) Serpēts: and of Creuiſſes (the ſhelles plucked off,) Scorpions.
