FOOD AND WARMTH. 163 



' hibernate,' — curl up and go to sleep, and remain per- 

 fectly quiet until spring-time comes again. Remain- 

 ing thus at rest, there is no waste of heat, and all the 

 heat which is needed is obtained from the flesh and 

 fat of the body itself, which becomes during the time 

 more and more exhausted. The bear, which thus 

 hibernates, is at the beginning of the time fat and in 

 good condition, but at the end poor and thin. By 

 keeping perfectly still it has not wasted heat, and it 

 has given up its own fat as fuel for the so-called fire, — 

 its thick fur coat keeping the heat in. 



And all this is true of the bee. The bee, however, 

 does not truly hibernate, although, all through winter, 

 it keeps close within, and remains as quiet as possible. 

 Its condition is that of semi-hibernation. And this 

 quietness, coupled with the number of bees crowded 

 together, means plenty of heat. And the greater the 

 number of bees, and the less the space in which they 

 are, means more heat, and this greater heat, thus pro- 

 duced, and thus sustained, causes less food to be 

 consumed. 



When there are but few bees, and much empty 

 space with cold air, the poor bees in severe weather, 

 instead of keeping quiet, have to exert themselves, by 

 motion of their wings, in order to give out sufficient 

 heat for the hive, and this, of course, as I have ex- 

 plained, requires the consumption of great quantities 

 of food. Thus when there are few bees, and consider- 

 able empty space in the hive, the honey supplies are 

 consumed faster than when there are more bees and 

 less space. 



You see thus the reason of what I have described 



