THE BUILDING OF THE CITY 39 



in their own way, as our forefathers allowed them, 

 they are provided with sheets of wax, as modern 

 bee-keepers do, they convert this into comb. This 

 wax being originally put into a frame just the 

 right size to fit the hive, and a number of these 

 frames being put in to hang so that each sheet 

 of wax is parallel with the others at exactly the 

 right distance apart, the bees are induced to build 

 combs that can be removed at will. 



While the comb building is going on in the new 

 hive, other bees are at work to make the room in 

 which they are to spend the rest of their days 

 a sound and secure habitation. This they do by 

 filling in all crevices and loose places with what is 

 known as " propolis," and consists of the gum 

 gathered from buds of chestnut, sycamore, and 

 similar trees. 



As the construction of comb advances, each 

 cell is put to its appropriate use immediately. 

 Those at the top, which are usually of irregular 

 shape and unsuitable for brood-rearing purposes, 

 are filled with honey, which is, at this time of 

 the year, pouring in very fast. Lower down, cells 

 of the right size to contain worker grubs are 

 being visited by the queen, and before the combs 

 are finished a large part of the space is occupied 

 by eggs and young grubs. 



The rate at which the work proceeds varies 

 according to the season. A May or June swarm, 

 given fine weather and a good honeyflow, will 



