Hive-Bees. 147 



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 walls are also 

 parallel to the former ; and two more are afterwards 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 always advanced beyond the two adjoining 

 ones by several rows 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 parallelism and an equality in their distances. It 

 may be remarked further, that beside the vacancies of half an 

 inch between the cells, which form what we call the highways 

 of the community, the combs are pierced ^n several places 

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

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

 round. The equal distance between the combs is of more 

 importance to the welfare 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 preparation 

 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 elongated 

 cells, that they may become fit for receiving the eggs which 



