Space would fail me if I were to enumerate these creatures at greater length, but enough has been said to show that man’s invention of subaquatic cement has been anticipated in Nature by the inhabitants both of salt and fresh water.
We now come to the subject of Paint and Varnish. Putting aside their use as a means to increase the beauty of the object to which they are applied, we will view them in the light of preservatives, and acknowledge the truth of the old Dutch proverb, that “Paint costs nothing.” Certainly, when the wood to which it is applied is thoroughly dry from within, it not only costs nothing, but repays itself over and over again as a preservative of the wood, and a defence against moisture from without.
The instances in which Paint is applied to wood are too numerous to be mentioned. Perhaps some of my readers may remember the case of the naval captain who, on taking command of his ship, was supplied, according to custom, with exactly half the amount of paint required for her. The invariable etiquette had been that the captain supplied the remaining half at his own cost. But the officer in question was not at all disposed to be “put upon,” and was a thorn in the sides of the “Naval Lords.”
Finding, by actual measurement, that the paint supplied to him was only half the amount which was really needed for the ship, he sent his respectful compliments to the Admiralty, asking whether they wished the port or the starboard side of the ship to be painted, for that there was only enough paint for one half of the ship, and he awaited instructions as to which side of the vessel it was to be applied. He was impervious to “minutes,” “directions,” &c., and, as far as I remember, this very impracticable man got his way, and was supplied with the requisite amount of paint.
Long before man ever invented paint or varnish the Hive Bee had made use of it.
Every one who has kept bees knows how they always fasten the edge of the hive to the board, and stop up any crevices that may be left open. The material which they use for this purpose is not wax, but a substance called “propolis.” This term is composed of two Greek words, signifying a suburb, or the outskirts of a town, and is given to this stationary substance in consequence of the use which is made of it.
Not only do the bees use it for fastening the hives, but also for strengthening their combs. Wax is a very precious material, and the beautiful hexagonal structure of the bee-comb is intended for the purpose of combining the greatest amount of storing space with the least expenditure of material. The plates of wax of which the cells are composed are so thin that their edges would break down even under the feet of the bees as they passed over it, and accordingly the bees strengthen the edges of the cells with propolis, as any one may see by examining a piece of bee-comb. The propolis is of a darker colour than the wax, and has a peculiar varnish-like appearance.
The propolis, as distinguished from wax, is mentioned by Virgil in his Georgics:—
“Collectumque hæc ipsa ad munera gluten
Et visco et Phrygiæ servant pice lentius Idæ.”—Georg. iv. 40.