176 



BEES AND BEE-KEEPING. 



on to the prominences of the wax shreds or pollen 

 grain. One of these covers (from a drone cell by 

 preference), if washed in benzole, so as to dissolve 

 out the wax, and then mounted in the usual way 

 on a slip, forms a very interesting microscopic 

 object, especially for the spot lens, since this shows 

 the cocoon as bright golden threads on a black 

 ground (C). 



The most puzzling of all variations remains to be 

 noticed, for no observer has discovered even the key 

 to the gauging of the dimensions of the cell by the 

 wax worker. It cannot be put in evidence that the 

 size of her body or head, or reach of her jaws, 

 determines it, for, under certain conditions which are 

 perfectly uniform, she discards the ^'m. diameter, and 

 starts constructing cells ^ of an inch between the 

 parallel sides, and these are used for the storing of 

 honey or the raising of drones, and so are commonly 

 called drone cells. The statement, many times made, 

 that twenty-five and sixteen of these respectively cover 

 a square inch is erroneous, as the outline is not 

 square, the correct numbers being as below : 



— 



Diameter. 



Length. 



No. on Sq. 



In. on One 



Side of 



Comb. 



No. on Sq. 



Ft. on One 

 Side of 

 Comb. 



No. on Sq. 



Ft. on Both 



Sides of 



Comb. 



"Worker cell . . 

 Drone ceil . . 



lin. 

 Jin. 



Mm- 



i0 15 



1 ° 3 7 5 



4157 

 2660 



83H 

 53 2 o 



The change of size, so mysterious in its cause, 

 cannot be made without disturbing the interfittino- of 

 the hexagons, the difficulty being met by the con- 



