118 FOOD OF BEES. 
tender corollas of some blossoms, opposite the honey recep- 
tacle, to reach the nectar, but this is of such rare instance, 
in the honey-bee, that it cannot be considered of any prac- 
tical value. 4 
261. The honey, when harvested, is stored in the rear of 
the hive, above the brood, and as near it as possible. 
When just gathered, it is too watery to be preserved for 
the use of the bees. To evaporate this water, they force a 
strong current of air through the hive, and the bee-keeper 
can ascertain the days of large honey-yield, by the greater 
roar of the bees in front of their hive during the night fol- 
lowing. If a strong colony is put ona platform scale, it 
will be found, during the height of the honey-harvest, to gain 
a number of pounds on apleasant day. Much of this weight 
will be lost in the night, from the evaporation of the newly- 
gathered honey. A thorough upward ventilation, in hot 
weather, will therefore contribute to increase the ripening 
of honey. 
When the cell is about full, the bees seal it with a flat 
cover or capping made of wax. ‘This capping is begun at 
the lower edge of the cell, and is raised gradually, as the 
honey is deposited within, till the cell is entirely sealed. 
These cappings being flat, depressed, or uneven, are easily 
distinguished from the caps of the brood, which are convex 
and of a darker color. 
262. Are the caps of the honey-cells air-tight? This 
much-debated question is not yet satisfactorily answered. 
The caps of the brood-cells, made of pollen and wax, are 
undoubtedly porous enough to allow the air to reach the 
larva; and some Apiarists question the imperviousness 
of the sealing of honey-comb. Mr. Cheshire himself, while 
of opinion that ‘‘ the bee aims at compact coverings for her 
honey,’’ says that ‘‘ not more than ten per cent. of these are 
absolutely impervious to air.’’ Yet his own description of 
the cause of the well-known ~hiteness of the cappings, 
