328 THE INSECT WOELD. 



stops, erects and stretches out its trunk, so that the opening by 

 which the honey may be taken out is a little way beyond the man- 

 dibles. It pushes the honey towards this opening. The other 

 bees, who know well enough that it is from there they must take 

 it, introduce the end of their trunks and suck it up. The bee 

 which has not been stopped on its road, often goes to the places 

 where other, bees are working, that is, to those places where 

 other bees are occupied, either in constructing new cells, or in 

 polishing or bordering the cells already built ; it offers them 

 honey, as if to prevent them from being under the necessity of 

 leaving their work to go and get it themselves." 



The honey which fills the store cells is intended for daily con- 

 sumption, and also intended as a reserve for the period when the 

 flowers furnish no more. The empty cells are left open, the 

 workers making use of them when they want them, particularly 

 during rainy days, which keep them at home. But the cells 

 which contain the honey put by in reserve are closed. " They 

 are/' says Reaumur, "like so many little pots of jam or jelly, 

 each one of which has its covering, and a very solid covering it 

 is too." This covering, composed of wax, hermetically seals the 

 pots containing this reserve of honey. The object of this is to 

 keep the honey in a certain state of liquidity, by pfeventing the 

 evaporation of the water it contains. It is a remarkable fact that 

 it does not run out of those cells which are open, although their 

 position is almost always horizontal. This is because there are 

 always in the sides of these narrow tubes points enough to keep it 

 in, and that besides this the last layer of honey is always of greater 

 consistency than the liquid in the interior, and upon which it 

 forms a sort of crust. 



When the harvest has been abundant, many combs of closed cells 

 may be found in each hive, perfect storehouses of abundance, fur- 

 nished for the wants of the bad season. When the construction 

 of the cells goes on well, -'often on the day after the bees have 

 installed themselves in their hive, the queen goes out to meet 

 the males. At the hour when these are accustomed to disport 

 themselves in the sun, that is to say, from noon till five o'clock, 

 she leaves the hive, whirls about for a few seconds, and disappears 

 into the air. At the end of half an- hour she returns, pregnant. 



