THE SOCIAL INSECTS 



including those in which the queens develop, are of the same 

 size. Some of them are used for storing honey, but the 

 colonies are relatively small and do not stay for long in any 

 one site. Apis florea is the smallest species, and it too builds 

 a single comb hanging from a branch. The cells are of four 

 sizes. Near the top are a number of honey cells and below 

 them a band of smaller cells for worker brood. Below this 

 are considerably larger cells in which drones are reared. All 

 these cells are hexagonal, but hanging from the bottom of 

 the comb are some irregularly cylindrical queen cells which 

 are the largest of all. 



Apis mellifera in all its forms has a marked tendency to 

 nest in dark cavities, such as caves or hollow trees. Less 

 commonly its combs may be suspended from branches, and 

 this has been recorded occasionally in Europe when a swarm 

 has escaped into the woods. The honey bee builds several 

 combs hanging side by side, each somewhat resembling the 

 single comb of the other two species. The worker and honey 

 cells are of the same size, but the drone cells are a little larger. 

 They usually lie on the periphery or at the bottom of a comb, 

 while the honey cells are near the top. In the modern hive, 

 the frames which contain honey are above and somewhat 

 separated from the brood combs. In a very thriving 

 colony, the queen might wish to lay eggs in some of the 

 honey combs. But by making the only access to these upper 

 combs a hole which admits workers but is too small for the 

 queen, the honey and the brood can be completely separ- 

 ated. A small amount of honey stored with the brood will 

 be used as food by the bees. 



It was early found that hives could be made in which some 

 of the walls were of glass. These windows are normally 

 kept covered with felt which can be removed at intervals 

 when the bees' behaviour is to be watched. 



104 



