44 STUDIES IN INSECT LIFE, ETC. 



and the space between them is consequently 

 narrowed, and the bulky queen-bee cannot tra- 

 verse it. The rate of growth of the comb depends 

 on the rate of growth of the colony, and often 

 it happens that the lower part is left in an in- 

 complete state. 



A young comb is white, translucent, very 

 brittle, but it soon hardens 

 and toughens. The larva 

 housed in each cell before 

 turning into the cocoon spins 

 a silken sac. When she 

 emerges from the cell as a 

 perfect insect, she leaves this 

 sac behind her, and although 

 FlG> 5> the vacated cell is at once 



Diagram of comb show- an( j carefully cleaned out, this 



ing honey-cells above. 



(stadier.) silken sac is suffered to re- 



main, and so with each new occupant of the 

 cell the number of sacs increases, adding greatly 

 to the strength of the comb. The cells of old 

 combs and combs are often years old may 

 contain dozens of these silken webs, and although 

 each is of extreme tenuity their accumulated 

 bulk often necessitates an enlargement of the 

 cell if it is to accommodate further larvae. The 



