BRITISH INSECTS 



abdomen, and the more the workers gorge themselves 

 with food, the greater the supply of wax that ensues. 

 The commencement of a comb is started by a single 

 individual, but very soon other helpers are near at hand. 

 Some cells are used as storehouses for pollen, others 

 are utilised for storing honey. The former are left 

 open, the latter are sealed up. Drone cells are larger 

 than the Worker ones. Queen cells are large and clumsy. 

 There is no waste of room or material. Economy is 

 practised in all departments, except that of food-supply. 

 The Queen, unlike many of her human prototypes, is 

 retiring and shy. She is just a Queen in her own right. 

 She dislikes pomp and ceremony, hates the light, and 

 keeps, for preference, to her own select apartment. 

 As a matter of fact, the Workers, as is fit and proper, 

 control the Bee-Community, and the Queen herself is 

 largely under their domain. Twice in her life the 

 latter is roused to great activity. Mated she must be, 

 and after she has been produced, she takes a flight in 

 the air, and having met a husband, returns fertiUsed. 

 Thereafter, she does not again forsake her faithful sub- 

 jects until, or unless, she leaves the hive accompanied 

 by a swarm of followers. If a second Queen makes her 

 appearance there is a desperate conflict, and the weaker 

 goes under. Sometimes the Workers consider it neces- 

 sary to rear further Queens. If this happens, the old 

 Queen asserts her rights, and much difficulty is ex- 

 perienced in restraining her. If the Workers produce 

 eggs, as they are able to and sometimes do, they always 

 98 



