42 HOME 01< THE HONEY BEE. 



insect infancy, all being cared for with the greatest 

 attention until they are fit to provide for themselves. 

 We shall find this state of things more or less all 

 through the year, except in winter ; but at no time 

 more than in June. 



This brood-nest will generally occupy the greater 

 part — at least all the middle part — of several of these 

 central combs. In the outer portions of these combs, 

 which are not suitable, being too chilly, for the young 

 bees, there will generally be honey safely stored away. 



In the brood-nest itself we shall find some cells 

 closed and some open.* In the open cells we shall see 

 -either a very small white speck, which is an egg, 

 fastened to the bottom of the cell, or else what appears 

 like a little white maggot ; some of these latter will 

 be small, and some of good size, nearly filling the cell. 



Of the closed-up cells some will appear with a 

 flat dark covering ; and out of these will soon come 

 the perfect, full-grown young worker bees. Others 

 will appear — but we shall not find them in every 

 comb of the brood-nest — with a much higher and 

 rounder top. Out of these will come, in due course of 

 time, some of the big, idle, noisy drones. 



And then, finally, on this comb from the brood- 

 nest that we are examining, we may or may not find 

 (when present, we shall find it generally on the edge 

 of the comb) a large, dark-coloured cell, in appearance 

 like an acorn, hanging by itself; and if so, then inside 

 it there is a young queen. It is a queen-cell. 



You must remember, however, that this state of 

 things in the brood-nest is the condition of summer- 

 time. If our visit to the hive is in winter, we shall 

 * See illustration on page 137, 



