174 



BEES AND BEE-KEEPING. 



of honey-cells, which in former years I described as 

 air-tight. Most bee-keepers have noted that snow- 

 white sealed honey, if kept in a damp place, changes 

 colour, the sealing appearing to grow transparent, 

 and the honey itself not infrequently weeping. By 

 experiments and a microscopic examination, I have 

 made evident that former ideas were inaccurate, and 

 that not more than 10 per cent, at most of the sealing 

 of honey is absolutely impervious to air. To extract 





Fig. 38.— Cappings of Cells, Various. 



A, Sealing of Brood Cell (Magnified Thirty-five times) — c, Cocoon ; w, Wall of Cell. 

 B, Sealing of Honey Cell (Magnified Thirty-five times)— «, Sealing outside ; 

 h,' Honey ; to. Wall of Cell, Intervening Air left Black. C, Sealing of Brood 

 Deprived of Wax Shreds to show Cocoon, Dibris, and Pollen Grains (Spot lens, 

 Magnified 200 times). 



honey {see Extraction), it is necessary to shave off 

 the sealing ; and if this be done skilfully, the wax 

 is removed so free from honey as to show at once 

 that the covers have never been in contact with the 

 cell contents. By consulting B (Fig. 38), we shall 

 see the reason of this. The horizontal position of 

 the cells prevents their being perfectly filled first 

 and covered afterwards ; but the bees, when the cell 



