EARLY WORK IN THE BEE-CITY 87 
larder at the first sign of returning warmth. But 
now the barest minimum of food is taken, and as 
the nearest cells become emptied of their contents, 
the cluster moves a step upward. Thus there isa 
system of slow browsing over the combs, until the 
dense flock of bees has reached the highest limit of 
the hive, when new grazing-ground must be taken. 
But the movement of the cluster is exceedingly 
slow, perhaps the slowest thing in the animate 
world. All recognise that existence depends on 
the stores being eked out to their uttermost. It is 
a scientific damping-down of the fires of life—a 
carefully thought-out and perfected plan for pre- 
serving the greatest possible number of worker- 
bees alive on the smallest practicable amount of 
food, so that the largest possible army of nurse- 
bees and foragers may be at hand in the spring- 
time to raise the young bees that are to represent 
the future colony. 
But there is no hibernation. It is doubtful even 
if bees ever sleep, either in their season of greatest 
activity or in the coldest depths of winter. At 
all times a slight rap on the hive will awaken 
an immediate timorous outcry within. Sturdy 
knocking will soon bring the guard-bees to the 
entrance to find out the cause of the disturbance, 
and many bees lose their lives from this vigilant 
habit alone. On frosty days the tits may often 
be seen perched on the entrance-board of a hive, 
beating out a noisy tattoo, and snapping up every 
