342 BRITISH BEES. 



the processes previously noticed. The community is 

 already lar*ge, and all are at once in active operation, but 

 four-and-twenty hours must elapse before the cells can 

 be commenced, for it takes that time to secrete the first 

 batch of wax. Festoons, as before described, of these 

 wax secreters are hanging in every direction within the 

 cavity of the hive, and as soon as the process is com- 

 pleted by the first festoon, this dissolves itself by the se- 

 veral bees unlinking their feet, and a leading bee proceeds 

 to the top of the centre of the hive, where she makes 

 herself room from the lateral pressure of other bees, by 

 turning herself sharply about and agitating her wings, 

 and there she collects the scales from the surface of her 

 ventral segments, manipulates them as before noticed, 

 and thus converts them into wax. The rest follow her, 

 and she collects it from them into a little oblong mass of 

 about half an inch ; whilst other bees from other festoons 

 are continually arriving to deposit their produce ; and as 

 soon as the mass is sufficiently large, which is speedily the 

 case, a sculpturer bee succeeds, and the first cell is late- 

 rally commenced. On the opposite side to where this 

 is being framed, two other bees are at work, moulding 

 the bottoms of two cells in apposition to the basis of the 

 first one. The wax keeps constantly increasing by fresh 

 deposits, and the rudiments of more cells are as rapidly 

 formed. These all emanate laterally, in a horizontal 

 direction or with a very slight incline towards their base. 

 They gradually form the vertical cake of comb, for the 

 bottom of one entire range of cells suffices for both 

 sides and inevitably they are so adjusted that the bot- 

 toms of those on either side are each covered by one- 

 third of the bottoms of each cell on the opposite side, 

 and so conversely, receiving and communicating strength 



