WINTEUING BEES. 285 



even each cell not containing honey or pollen holds a 

 bee. Suppose this cluster is sufficiently compact for mu- 

 tual -n-armth, with the mercury at 40", and it falls to zero 

 in a few hours, this body of bees, like most other things, 

 will speedily contract. Some bees on the outside, being 

 already chilled, do not keep up with the shrinking mass, 

 and being left exposed at a distance from their fellows, 

 receive but little benefit from the warmth of the cluster, 

 and are soon frozen. 



SIZE OF COLONY. 



A good colony will form a ball or sphere about eight 

 inches in diameter, generally about equal every way, 

 which must occupy the spaces between four or five combs. 

 As the combs separate them into divisions, the two outer 

 ones are the smallest and most exposed ; these are often 

 found frozen to death in severe weather. Should evidence 

 be wanting to show that bees will freeze, the above seems 

 to furnish it. 



Suppose a quart of bees to be put in a hive where all 

 the cells are lengthened out, and filled with honey, there 

 would be only one-fourth inch spaces between the combs, 

 leaving room for only one course of bees. The combs 

 are perhaps one and a half or two inches thick. These 

 single layers of bees could not of course keep themselves 

 properly warm. Although every bee would have food in 

 abundance without changing its position, the first severe 

 weather would probably destroy them all. But I admit 

 this to be a rather improbable condition. 



rnOMOTION OF WAEMTH. 



Their winter quarters are among the brood combs, 

 where the hatching of the brood leaves most of the cells 

 empty, and there is a half inch space between the combs ; 

 a wise and ')eautiful arrangement, as ten times as many 



