on the Honey Bee. 



191 



a small portion of tlie comb, and reposed in the cells (which 

 hitherto they had not done). I suspected eggs were laid in these 

 cells, but I could not see them on account of the bees being in 

 the cells, and I did not dare to disturb them, so as to make them 

 come out of the cells, fearing the consequence of too great irritation; 

 and I therefore waited patiently till the 3rd of March, when I 

 saw the queen depositing eggs, and the cells where the bees had 

 clustered all contained brood ; on the 5th the cells of brood were 

 partly sealed over, and the space occupied by the bees was being 

 gradually enlarged. On the 14th of March the space occupied 

 by brood on one side of the comb measured 4x3 inches, and on 

 the other side 5 x 3 inches; the number of brood, therefore, being 

 729. This quantity of brood had not increased since the 8th, 

 and they were all hatched off prior to the queen again commenc- 

 ing laying, which she did early in April, as I detected her de- 

 positing eggs on the 4th, and on the 7th brood was again being 

 sealed over; on the 21st of April the same space was again oc- 

 cupied by brood as on the 14th of March, and the breeding was 

 now continued without interruption during the summer. 



The progress of the hive may be traced by the Table, showing 

 the quantity of brood each time of measuring, at intervals of 

 twenty-one days; a few stray extracts from my Note Book during 

 the summer may, however, be interesting. 

 «« 1853. 



First day pollen collected, and bad weather 



til! the 10th. 

 Brood increasing rapidly, though weather cold. 

 Observed one drone grub sealed over amongst 



the workers, the cell being lengthened. 

 The drone grub observed on the 18th appeared 

 to be breaking the cover of the cell at 4 p.m. ; 

 at 10 P.M. the drone's head was uncovered, 

 and the cell broken away to the surface of 

 the worker comb, but it appeared dead ; got 

 him out of the cell, but he had been killed. 

 Drone cells commenced. 

 Drone eggs observed. 



Store of honey rapidly decreasing, and the cells 

 occupied with brood. Weather the last ten 

 days very wet, stormy and bad. 

 Drone grubs destroyed in the cells, and those 



sealed over torn out. 

 Breeding ceased." 



March 6th. 



May 6 th. 

 18th. 



31st. 



June 



July 



9 th. 



28th. 



2nd. 



15th. 



September. 



