56 THE BEE-MASTER OF WARRILOW 
of the hive. Out of its dim depths came up a 
steady rumbling note like a train in a tunnel, but 
only a few of the bees got on the wing and began 
tc circle round our heads viciously. The frames 
hung side by side, with a space of half an inch or so 
between. The bee-master lifted them out carefully 
one by one. 
‘“ Now, see here,’’ he said, as he held up the first 
frame in the sunlight, with the bees clinging in 
thousands to it, ‘“‘ this end comb ought to have 
nothing but honey in it, but you see its centre is 
covered with brood-cells. The queen has caught 
the bee-man napping, and has extended her nursery 
to the utmost limit of the hive. She is at the end 
of her tether, and has therefore decided to swarm. 
Directly the bees see this they begin to prepare for 
the coming loss of their queen by raising another, 
and to make sure of getting one they always breed 
three or four.”’ 
He took out the next comb and pointed to a round 
construction, about the size and shape of an acorn, 
hanging from its lower edge. 
““That is a queen cell; and here, on the next 
comb, are two more. One is sealed over, you see, 
and may hatch out at any moment; and the others 
are nearly ready for closing. They are always care- 
fully guarded, or the old queen would destroy them. 
And now to put an end to the swarming fit.’’ 
He took out all the combs but the four centre 
ones; and, with a goose wing, gently brushed the 
bees off them into the hive. The six combs were 
then taken to the extricating-house hard by. The 
sealed honey-cells on all of them were swiftly un- 
capped, and the honey thrown out by a turn or two 
