108 MANUAL OF THE APIARY. 



wax-scales, the same as those within the hive. During the 

 active storing of the past season, especially when comb- 

 building was in rapid progress, I found that nearly every bee 

 taken from the flowers contained the wax-scales of varying 

 sizes in the wax-pockets. By the activity of the bees, these 

 are not infrequently loosed from their position, and fall to the 

 bottom of the hive. 



It is probable that wax secretion is not forced upon the 

 bees, but only takes place as required. So the bees, unless, 

 wax is demanded, may perform other duties. Whether this 

 secretion is a matter of the bee's will, or whether it is excited 

 by the surrounding conditions without any thought, are ques- 

 tions yet to be settled. 



These wax-scales are loosened by the claws, and carried to 

 the mouth by, the anterior legs, where they are mixed with 

 saliva, and after the proper kneading by the jaws, in which 

 process it assumes a bright yellow hue — but loses none of its. 

 translucency — it is formed into that wonderful and exquisite 

 structure, the comb. 



Honey-comb is wonderfully delicate, the wall of a new cell 

 being only about 1-180 of an inch in thickness, and so formed 

 as to combine ■ the greatest strength with the least expense of 

 material and room. It has been a subject of admiration since 

 the earliest time. That the form is a matter of necessity, as 

 some claim — the result of pressure — and not of bee-skill, is 

 not true. The hexagonal form is assumed at the very start 

 of the cells, when there can be no pressure. The wasp builds 

 the same form, though unaided. The assertion that the cells, 

 even the drone and worker-cells, are absolutely uniform and 

 perfect, is also untrue, as a little inspection will convince any 

 one. The late Prof. Wyman proved that an exact hexagonal 

 cell does not exist. He showed that the size varies ; so that 

 in a distance of ten worker-cells, there may be a variation of 

 one diameter. And this in natural, not distorted cells. This 

 variation of one-fifth of an inch in ten cells is extreme, but 

 a variation of one-tenth of an inch is common. The sides, 

 as also the angles, are not constant. The rhombic faces 

 forming the bases of the cells also vary. 



The bees change from worker (Fig. 28, c) to drone-cells 

 (Fig. 28, a), which are one-fifth larger, and vice versa, not 



