104 THE BUILDING OF BEES. 



is abundant, and the building goes on very fast. Tbe queen 

 lays in all the cells, as soon as begun, disputing for them 

 with the workers, who want to fill them with honey. As 

 she follows the builders, waiting for cells, no large cells 

 are made. After about three weeks, the bees of the first 

 laid eggs begin to leave their cells (171); the queen 

 goes back to fill these empty cells, and the workers, hence- 

 forth free from restraint, follow their preferences by build- 

 ing store-combs. Result: A few large cells, placed on the 

 side or at the back of the hive. 



231. (6) This other swarm has a queen as prolific as 

 the one above. For two weeks she follows the builders as 

 the first did, laying in the cells as soon as built. But, the 

 crop stopping suddenly, both the building and the laying 

 slacken, when only two-thirds of the constructions are 

 made. After three weeks of scarcity, abundance comes 

 again, and the building is resumed. But the queen is no 

 longer among the workers, waiting for cells ; she is at the 

 other end of the hive, where she lays in the cells which 

 were left empty when the larviE that they harbored were 

 born. Result : About one-third of store-combs. 



232. (c) This third swarm has a queen whose proMfic- 

 ness is deficient, yet she has been able to follow the build- 

 ers for a few days. She is at last left behind, and the 

 workers begin combs with large cells. On reaching these 

 cells, one or two days later, she passes over them without 

 laying (149), and rejoins the builders, who hasten to com- 

 ply with her desire to have worker-cells. But she is soon 

 left behind for the second time, and the workers, unre- 

 strained again, build large cells till she again rejoins them, 

 to be again left behind, and so on. Result : Parts of store- 

 combs mixed, here and there, with worker-combs. 



233. (d) We have removed from a hive all its drone- 

 combs ; but as the queen is occupied in fllMng empty worker- 

 cells in another part of the hive, the builders, following their 



