THE HONEY-BEE 43 



The cell is about the size of an acorn ; the walls 

 are very stout, 2-3 mm. thick, and the mouth 

 opens downward. As a rule these queen-cells 

 stand out from the under edge of the worker- 

 comb, rarely are they found near the drones' cells. 

 The worker-cells are used over and over again 

 for successive breeds of these undeveloped females, 

 and the same is true of the drone-cells ; but as 

 soon as the young queen has 

 emerged from the royal-cell 

 it is broken up, and the 

 wax which formed its walls 

 is carried off to be used 

 elsewhere. 



The " middle-plate " between FlG> 4 ' 



the two layers of cells of one 



comb is separated from the 

 " middle-plate" of the next comb by a space of 

 35 mm. The depth of each brood cell is 12-5 

 mm., and this leaves a space between each 

 adjacent comb of 10 mm., room enough for the 

 bees to pass back to back as they run over the 

 open mouths of the cells tending the inmates. 

 But since when filling or emptying the honey- 

 cells there is no need for the bees to pass one 

 another, the honey-cells are deeper (16-17 mm.) 



