BfiEEDING. 66 



next combs,' keeping the distance to the outside of the 

 circle of eggs, to the centre or place of beginning, 

 about equal on all sides, until they occupy the outside 

 comb. Long before the outside comb is occupied, 

 the first eggs deposited are matured, and the queen 

 will return to the centre and use these cells again, but 

 is not so particular this time to fill so many in such 

 exact order as at first. This is the general process of 

 small or medium sized families. I have removed the 

 bees from such, in all stages of breeding, and always 

 found their proceedings as described. 



DIFrERKNT 'WITH LARGER ONES. 



But with very large families, their proceedings are 

 different : as any part of the cluster of bees is warm 

 enough for breeding, there is less necessity for econo- 

 mizing heat, and having all the eggs confined to one 

 small spot, some unoccupied cells will be found among 

 the brood ; a few will contain honey and bee-bread. 



HOW POLLEN IS STOEED IN THE BREEDING SEASON. 



But in the height of the breeding season, ^a circle of 

 cells nearly all bee-bread, an inch or two wide, will 

 border the sheets of ccimb containing brood. As bee- 

 bread is probably the principal food of the young bee, 

 it is thus very convenient. 



When pollen is abundant, and the swarm is in 

 prosperous condition, they soon reach the outside 

 sheets of comb with the brood. At this period, when 

 the hive is about full, and tne queen is forced to the 

 outside combs to find a place fpr her eggs, it is inter- 



