HIVE-BEES. 113 



We have already seen that the first cell determines the 

 place of all that succeed it, and two of these are never, 

 in ordinary circumstances, begun in different parts of the 

 hive at the same time, as is alleged by some early writers. 

 When some rows of cells, however, have been completed 

 in the first comb, two other foundation-walls are begun, 

 one on each side of it, at the exact distance of one-third of 

 an inch, which is sufficient to allow two bees employed on 

 the opposite cells to pass each other without jostling. 

 These new w^alls are also parallel to the former; and two 

 more are afterw^ards begun exterior to the second, and at 

 the same parallel distance. The combs are uniformly 

 enlarged, and lengthened in a progression proportioned to 

 the priority of their origin ; the middle comb being alwaj'S 

 advanced beyond the two adjoining ones by several row^s 

 of cells, and these again beyond the ones exterior to them. 

 Did the bees lay the foundations of all their combs at the 

 same time, they would not find it easy to preserve paral- 

 lelism and an equality in their distances. It may be re- 

 marked further, that beside the vacancies of half an inch 

 between the cells, which form what w^e call the highways 

 of the community, the combs are pierced in several places 

 with holes which serve as postern-gates for easy communi- 

 cation from one to another, to prevent loss of time in going 

 round. The equal distance between the combs is of more 

 importance to the w^elfare of the hive than might at first 

 appear ; for were they too distant, the bees would be so 

 scattered and dispersed, that they could not reciprocally 

 communicate the heat indispensable for hatching the eggs 

 and rearing the young. If the combs, on the other hand, 

 were closer, the bees could not traverse the intervals with 

 the freedom necessary to facilitate the work of the hive. 

 On the approach of winter, they sometimes elongate the 

 cells which contain honey, and thus contract the intervals 

 between the combs. But this expedient is in prej)aration 

 for a season when it is important to have copious magazines, 

 and when, their activity being relaxed, it is unnecessary 

 for their communications to be so spacious and free. On 

 the return of spring, the bees hasten to contract the elon- 



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