104 



THE PRACTICAL BEE GUIDE. 



by the shoulders, in your fingers, and lift it vertically over the 

 hive. Turn your back to the strongest light, and examine the 

 side of the frame next to you. If the queen is there you will 

 recognise her by her length, and shape, and colour (4). She 

 is longer than the worker bee ; thin for her length ; with her 

 abdomen pointed ; and somewhat darker in tint than the others. 

 If young, she will show her activity by "dodging" from one 

 side to the other of the frame. If she be on that frame, it will 

 be well to return it to the hive, lest she take wing, and give 

 trouble ; in which case you must remain perfectly still and 

 await her return. (See also 185b, page 107.) 



183. The Combs Described Your frame, upon examination 



in the summer season, will probably be found to contain honey, 

 capped and uncapped, capped brood, uncapped larvs, eggs, 

 some empty cells, and perhaps a little pollen (Fig. 14). Bees 

 store their honey over their brood. The cells, therefore, next the 

 top bar, — cells capped with light coloured wax, contain ripe 

 honey. Next to them will be found unripe honey, not yet 

 capped. I.ov.'er down on the comb, cells with a dark capping 



Fig. 73. 



COMB AND QUEEN CELLS. 

 (Magnified twice.) 

 a^ Queen cell, cut to expose " Royal .Telly " and Grub at upper end; &, Thick- 

 ness of cell; c. Dimpling outside cell; d, Spot where bowel contents and 

 esuvium are placed. 



of wax and pollen contain hatching brood, the wax being mixed 

 with pollen to render the cappings porous. Some of these 

 capped cells stand out from the comb beyond the others (Fig. 

 77), and have a larger diameter ; they contain drone brood (Fig. 



