WINTERING BEES. 331 



There is not sufficient animal heat generated to ex- 

 hale the aqueous portion of their food. The philoso- 

 phy that explains why a man in warm blood and in 

 profuse perspiration would throw off or exhale more 

 moisture than in a quiet state, will illustrate this. The 

 bees in these circumstances must retain the water with 

 the excrement! tious part, which soon distends their 

 bodies to the utmost, rendering them unable to endure 

 it long. Their cleanly habits, that ordinarily save the 

 combs from being soiled, is not a sure protection noW( 

 and they are compelled to leave the mass very often 

 in the severest weather, to expel this unnatural accu- 

 mulation of fjeces. It is frequently discharged even 

 before leaving the comb, but most of it at the en- 

 trance ; also some scattei'cd on the front side of the 

 hive, and a short distance from it. In a moderately 

 warm day, more bees will issue from a hive in this 

 condition than from others ; it appears that a part of 

 them are unable to discharge their burden — ^their 

 weight prevents their flying — they get down and are 

 lost. When cold weather is too long continued, they 

 cannot wait for warm days to leave, but continue to 

 come out at any time ; and not one of such can then 

 return. The cluster inside the hive is thus reduced 

 in numbers till they are unable to generate heat suffi- 

 cient to keep from freezing. With the indications 

 attendant upon such losses, my own observation has 

 made me somewhat familiar, as the following coji' 

 versation will illustrate. 



