CHAPTER II. 



THE BUILDING OF BEES.— COMB. 



198. When a swarm (406) has found a suitable habita- 

 tion, some of the bees clean it of its rubbish, if necessary, 

 while others, at once, prepare to build the furniture, which 

 is intended as cradles for the young bees, and as a store-room 

 for the provisions, and is called comb. 



According to Webster, this word is probably taken from 



Fig. 41. 



COMBS BUILT UPWARDS. 



the Anglo-Saxon "comb," which means a hollow; the combs 

 being hollow structures, with exceedingly light walls. 



199. The combs are usually begun at the highest point of 

 the hive and built downwards, yet, when some breaking hap- 



93 



