4 MANIPULATION OF WAX SCALES OP THE HONEY BEE. 



molded upon the surfaces of the eight wax plates they correspond to 

 them in number and in form. 



In its natural position each wax scale lies between its wax plate 

 and the overlapping edge of the next preceding sternal plate. The 

 scale thus fits into a little crevice or wax pocket and is well protected 

 from injury. If the bee extends its abdomen the rear edges of the 

 scales can be seen protruding from their pockets, or if the scales be- 

 come very thick they will push the covering sternal plates outward 

 and will project from the pockets. 



THE FORMATION OF THE WAX SCALES. 



The problem of wax secretion has been extensively studied by 

 Dreyling, who shows that the wax glands differ markedly in struc- 

 ture in bees of different ages. In the newly emerged bee the epider- 

 mis which underlies the wax plate is composed of epithelial cells 

 nearly cubical in form. As the bee grows older these cells become 

 elongated and are separated by clear spaces, and when the bee has 

 reached the height of its activity as a wax producer these gland cells 

 are elongated and show liquid wax stored in the spaces between them. 

 When the wax-secreting period is over these cells degenerate, so that 

 in sections through the glands of old field bees, or of bees that have 

 lived over winter, the layer of cells beneath the wax plates appears 

 greatly shrunken, and individual cells can be distinguished by th^ir 

 nuclei only. These histological data are given by Dreyling in sup- 

 port of the conclusion that the secretion of wax in much more abun- 

 dant at a certain period in the bee's life and that old bees and- very 

 young bees are, as a rule, incapable of wax production. These con- 

 clusions are in harmony with the practical experiences of bee keepers. 



METHODS OF OBSERVATION. 



In a study of the behavior during scale removal and wax building 

 it is necessary to watch the bees while they are working naturally 

 within the hive. To accomplish this, observatory hives are used in 

 which glass is substituted for wood in part of the construction. 

 Most of the work is done upon colonies in modified nucleus boxes 

 (fig. 2). The two sides are removed from each hive and are replaced 

 with glass in the form of sliding doors, two to a side, and glass plates 

 are fitted to the top. It all cases wooden shades cover both sides and 

 top when the bees are not under observation. Although bees are 

 somewhat disturbed when light is first admitted to the hive, they ap- 

 pear to become accustomed to it and work normally unless the hive is 

 left open for too long a period. 



When a hive is well crowded with bees, and when the frames are 

 widely spaced, the workers are apt to extend the comb above the level 

 of the top bars of the frames until it comes in contact with the glass. 

 This gives the observer an excellent opportunity to study the comb 



