1883.] BEE-KEEPING. 165 



capping over, and set them into the cellar until nearly sunset, when 

 it will be safe to bring them out and place on their permanent 

 stand. They will now commence cleaning the hive for comb- 

 building by biting away everything that is rough, making the hive 

 perfectly clean and smooth. At the top of the hive, in the center 

 of the cluster, they fasten and work into the grain of the wood a 

 small piece of wax, no larger than a grain of mustard seed, then 

 adding more to this, the whole is worked over into a rough founda- 

 tion for comb-building. 



In a colony of bees there are pollen and honey-gatherers, which 

 are generally old bees; another class, called wax-producers, cluster 

 in the hive and are fed in abundance with honey, which causes a 

 secretion of oily, waxy substance on the inside of the abdomen, 

 perfectly white, and shaped something like a small fish-scale. This 

 is worked over by the bees and formed into wax for comb-building. 

 Another class are delegated as nurses and housekeepers ; this de- 

 volves upon the younger portion. A colony of bees is a perfectly 

 organized corps of workers; no idlers are allowed as members. 



A great many times, in observing their operations, I have seen 

 the bees dragging out of their hive some poor unfortunate, who 

 happened to be born with an imperfect wing, or some other de- 

 formity, having no regard to its struggles and pleading tones of 

 distress, which were unmistakably manifested in a very pathetic 

 way. 



The queen has the capacity for filling the highest and most 

 important department in the colony, decidedly objecting to any 

 copartnership or rivalry, but requiring entire supremacy, occupy- 

 ing the place of honor, having her movements unquestioned. She 

 is entirely unlike any other member of the colony, having no 

 instincts common with them. She has no capacity for labor, no 

 affection for her young, is given to jealousy, vengeance, passion, 

 and fury. Without her the swarm would dwindle away and die. 

 The workers are aware of this, and if from any cause the queen is 

 separated from the cluster the colony is completely demoralized, 

 and in a state of frenzy and delirium; at this time introduce their 

 queen and notice the result: with telegraphic dispatch the whole 

 swarm is communicated with, and the thousands of bees which 

 are scattered over a large territory immediately jom the cluster, 

 manifesting every sign of delight. Their demonstrations of anger 

 are deeply impressive, and easily understood. With a very little 



