OR, MANUAI, OF THE APIARY. 183 



78, a) are a little more than one-fourth of an inch, or, according 

 to Reaumur, three and one-third lines. But this distinguished 

 author was quite wrong when he said: "These are the in- 

 variable dimensions of all cells that ever were or ever will be 

 made." A recent English author, after stating the diameter 

 of cells, adds: "The statement many times made that 

 twenty-five and sixteen of these, respectively, cover a square 

 inch, is erroneous, as they are not square." He says there are 

 28 13-lS and 18 178-375. I find the worker-cells per square 

 inch vary from 25 to 29, and the drone-cells from 16 to 19 per 

 square inch. The drone-cells, I think, vary more in size than 

 do the worker-cells. The depth of the worker-cells is a little 

 less than half an inch ; the drone-cells are slightly extended, 

 so as to be a little more than half an inch deep. Thus worker- 

 comb is seven-eighths and drone-comb one and one-fourth 

 inches thick. This depth, even of brood-cells, varies, so we 

 can not give exact figures. The cells are often drawn out so 

 as to be an inch long, when used solely as hohey receptacles. 

 Such cells are often very irregular at the end, and sometimes 

 two are joined. The number of cells in a pound of comb will 

 vary much, of course, as the thickness of the comb is not uni- 

 form. This number will vary from thirty to fifty thousand. 

 In capping the honey the bees commence at the outside of 

 each cell and finish at thB center. The capping of the brood- 

 cells is white and convex. The capping of honey-cells is 

 made thicker by black bees than by the other races, and so 

 their comb honey is more beautiful. Another reason for the 

 whiter color comes from a small air-chamber just beneath the 

 capping. The inner surface of the capping is, therefore, 

 usually free from honey. This chamber is usually a little 

 larger in the honey-comb of black bees. The cappings are 

 strengthened by tiny braces of wax, which, as we should 

 expect, are most pronounced in drone-comb. 



The strength of comb is something marvelous. I have 

 known a frame of comb honey eleven inches square to weigh 

 eleven pounds, and yet to be unsupported at the bottom, and 

 for not more than one-third of the distance from the top on the 

 sides, and yet it held securely. The danger in cold weather, 

 from breaking, is greater, as then the comb is very brittle. 



