EARLY WORK IN THE BEE-CITY 87 



larder at the first sign of returning warmth. But 

 now the barest minimum of food is taken, and as 

 the nearest cells become emptied of their contents, 

 the cluster moves a step upward. Thus there is a 

 system of slow brovvsing over the combs, until the 

 dense flock of bees has reached the highest limit of 

 the hive, when new grazing-ground must be taken. 

 But the movement of the cluster is exceedingly- 

 slow, perhaps the slowest thing in the animate 

 world. All recognise that existence depends on 

 the stores being eked out to their uttermost. It is 

 a scientific damping-down of the fires of life — a 

 carefully thought-out and perfected plan for pre- 

 serving the greatest possible number of worker- 

 bees alive on the smallest practicable amount of 

 food, so that the largest possible army of nurse- 

 bees and foragers may be at hand in the spring- 

 time to raise the young bees that are to represent 

 the future colony. 



But there is no hibernation. It is doubtful even 

 if bees ever sleep, either in their season of greatest 

 activity or in the coldest depths of winter. At 

 all times a slight rap on the hive will awaken 

 an immediate timorous outcry within. Sturdy 

 knocking will soon bring the guard-bees to the 

 entrance to find out the cause of the disturbance, 

 and many bees lose their lives from this vigilant 

 habit alone. On frosty days the tits may often 

 be seen perched on the entrance-board of a hive, 

 beating out a noisy tattoo, and snapping up every 



