CHAPTER III. 



THE CONTENTS OF THE HIVE. 



In order that bee-keeping may give the greatest 

 amount of enjoyment and pleasure, and, at the same 

 time, . the largest profit, it is necessary to study care- 

 fully the natural history of the honey-bee so far as 

 it is applicable to the practical work of the apiary. 



In commencing this study we should naturally first 

 make an examination of the hive to learn about the 

 structure of the combs and their varied contents. 



The Combs. 



The combs are found in all hives or other cavities 

 where bees have built according to their own devices, 

 at an almost uniform thickness, viz., a trifle under 

 an inch from face to face, when containing sealed 

 "worker brood." The space between the combs is 

 about half an inch, consequently the distance from 

 centre to centre of the combs is just under If inches, 

 or, to be exact, 1^ inch. 



Combs are made of wax, a secretion resulting from 

 the consumption of honey or an equivalent food. 

 The wax oozes out from beneath the scales of the 



