and its Economic Management. 23 



pockets" on the under-side of the abdomen, and this they are 

 moulding into shape as added to the thick rim on the outer edge 

 of the cells. This rim is always present, not only as a reserve of 

 wax for lengthening the cells, but more especially for giving 

 strength to the structure, and the better to withstand the tramp 

 of many feet ; the actual cell walls being as fine as tissue paper. 

 With a few exceptions, as when joining two combs, or where 

 drone cells meet the worker size, each cell is hexagonal in shape, 

 with a base composed of three irregular squares, so that the 

 centre point of contact is deeper than the sides ; thus, the centre 

 of the base of one cell comes opposite the junction of three walls 

 on the other side of the " septum." 



The natural distance from the centre of one comb to that of 

 the next is 1 J-inch. It is not, however, absolutely necessary that 

 this gauge should be retained, and it will be found by making 

 the distance i|-inch or ij-inch when starting new combs that 

 the bees will build them almost entirely of worker cells — five to 

 the inch. When the natural distance is allowed, many larger 

 cells are constructed ; these are for storage or for the production 

 of drones or males, their measure being four to the inch. 



As soon as the combs are sufficiently advanced, the queen 

 deposits an egg in each available cell; this remains for two days, 

 when the workers add a milky fluid ; on the third day the egg 

 hatches, and the tiny embryo floats in the liquid, to which the 

 bees continually add, until the seventh day, when the larva sur- 

 rounds itself with a silken web, its cell being then capped over 

 with a porous mixture of wax and pollen. According to 

 Cheshire many more important changes then take place than 

 hitherto have been supposed, and the student of nature will find 

 much pleasure in perusing his work.* When fully developed, 

 the insect bites its own way through the cap on the twentieth 

 day after the egg was laid, and is readily distinguished by its 

 light downy appearance. It immediately proceeds to the open 

 cells of honey, and helps itself liberally. The youngster is 



* " Bees and Bee-keeping," Vol. I., Scientific. 



