328 WINTEEING BEES. 



honey ; the spaces between the combs would be abotit 

 one-fourth of an inch — only room for one thickness of 

 bees to spread through. The combs would perhaps 

 be one and a half or two inches thick. All the warmth 

 that could be generated then, would be by one course 

 or layer of bees, &i\ inch and a half apart. Although 

 every bee would have food in abundance without 

 changing its position, the first turn of severe weather 

 would probably destroy the whole. This, it may be 

 said, "is an unnatural situation." I will admit that it 

 is; the case was only supposed for illustration. I 

 know that their winter quarters are among the brood 

 combs, where the hatching of the brood leaves most 

 of the cells empty ; and the space between the combs 

 is half an inch ; a wise and beautiful arrangement ; as 

 ten times the number of bees can pack themselves 

 within a circle of six inches, as can in the other case ; 

 and in consequence the same number of bees can se- 

 cure much more animal heat, and endure the cold 

 much better ; but a small family, even here, will often 

 be found frozen, as well as starving.. 



FROST AND ICE SOMETIMES SMOTHER BEES. 



Besides freezing, there are other facts to be observed 

 in stocks which stand in the cold. ' If we examine the 

 interior of a hive containing a medium-sized swarm, 

 on the first severely cold morning, except in the im- 

 mediate vicinity of the bees, we shall find the combs 

 and sides of the hive covered with a white frost. In 

 the middle of the day, or as soon as the temperature 

 is slightly raised, this begins to melt, — first next to 

 the bees, then at the sides. A succession of cold 



