280 BEES AND BEE-KEEPING. 



above and in advance of the bees, who invariably 

 cluster on the approach of winter upon the empty 

 portion of the combs at the bottom, the upper end 

 of the cluster overlapping that part filled with honey, 

 thus keeping a sufficient amount for immediate use 

 always warm, from which they draw their daily sup- 

 port during the continuance of cold weather, and as 

 the honey is consumed, necessity requires the bees to 

 ascend higher and higher to keep near their supplies. 

 Should the depth of comb immediately above them 

 be sufficient to afford this, they will winter finely; 

 but if they should reach the top during very cold 

 weather, although there may be plenty of honey in 

 other parts of the hive, they will starve to death. If 

 they leave the cluster to pass over or around inter- 

 vening combs, they get chilled, and will never re- 

 turn. I have seen many such cases. 



But perhaps some one is ready to ask, How do you 

 know bees are thus found in hollow trees? it would 

 be difficult to climb up and look in. To this I 

 would say, I have examined several that were cut 

 and lowered down by ropes and taken to the apiary, 

 and kept there for years and finally dissected, and 

 the bees transferred to a hive. I have seen a great 

 many bee trees dissected after felling them with the 

 axe. I have also examined quite a number of gums 

 or hives made by sawing off a section of a hollow 

 gum tree when filled with bees and combs, the 

 diameter of which was quite small in proportion to 

 the length, thereby following nature as closely as 

 possible. I have made these observations at all sea- 



