-26 A Modem Bee-Farm 



not only as a reserve of wax for lengthening the cells, but 

 more especially for giving strength to the structure, and the 

 better to withstand the tramp of many feet ; the actual cell 

 walls being as fine as tissue paper. With a few exceptions,' 

 as when joining two combs, or where drone cells meet those 

 of the worker size, each cell is hexagonal in shape, with a base 

 composed of three irregular squares, so that the centre point 

 of contact is deeper than the sides ; thus, the centre of the 

 ^base of one cell comes opposite the junction of three walls on 

 the other side of the " septum." 



The natural distance from the centre of one comb to that 

 of the next is i J-inch. It is not, however, absolutely necesary 

 that this gauge should be retained, and it will be found by 

 making the distance i^-inch or ij-inch when starting new 

 combs that the bees will build them almost entirely of worker 

 cells — five to an inch. When the natural distance is allowed, 

 many larger cells are constructed ; these are for storage or 

 for the production of drones or males, their measure being 

 four to the inch. 



As soon as the combs are sufficiently advanced, the queen 

 deposits an egg in each, available cell; this remains for two 

 days, when the workers add a milky fluid ; on the third day 

 the egg hatches, and the tiny embryo floats in the liquid, to 

 which the bees continually add, until the seventh day, when 

 the larva surrounds itself with a silken web, its cell being 

 then capped over with a porous mixture of wax and Pollen. 

 According to Cheshire many more important changes then 

 take place than hitherto have been supposed, and the student 

 of nature will find much pleasure in perusing his work.* 

 When fully developed, the insect bites its own way through 

 the cap on the twentieth day after the egg was laid, and is 

 readily distinguished by its light downy appearance. It 

 immediately proceeds to the open cells of honey, and helps 

 itself liberally. The youngster is generally assisted by an 



* " Bees and Bee-keeping," Vol. I., Scientific. 



