The Life of the Bee 



ing the only possible spot in this absurd 

 habitation, in pursuance of a method 

 whose principles may appear inflexible, 

 but whose results are strikingly vivid. 



When installed in one of the huge fac- 

 tories, bristling with frames, that we men- 

 tioned just now, these frames will interest 

 them only to the extent in which they 

 provide them with a basis or point of 

 departure for their combs ; and they 

 very naturally pay not the slightest heed 

 to the desires or intentions of man. But 

 if the apiarist have taken the precaution 

 of surrounding the upper lath of some of 

 these frames with a narrow fillet of wax, 

 they will be quick to perceive the advan- 

 tage this tempting oiFer presents, and will 

 carefully extract the fillet, using their own 

 wax as solder, and will prolong the comb 

 in accordance with the indicated plan. 

 Similarly — and the case is frequent in 



modern apiculture — if all the frames of 

 142 



