32 
BEES AND BEE-KEEPING. 
wall, would have no other function than to husband 
the heat of the wax-workers. After a few days, a 
similarly made section would give us the disposition 
of parts seen at C, Fig. 4. Centrally, we have the 
largest and first started comb, and on the right and 
left others less developed, so that the united outline 
is approximately spherical, or rather elliptical ; for, the 
side of the comb being a better defence than its edge, 
the diameter of the body of bees tends to increase 
most in the direction of the combs’ length. Upon 
and around the combs are the builders and nurses, 
while an agglomeration of bees furnishes the envelope, 
of from lin. to ijin. in thickness. This peripheral 
mass takes no direct part in the work going on within, 
except, as already said, in making it possible there 
to preserve a temperature of 95deg., which is the most 
favourable for the secretion of wax and the raising of 
brood. This envelope, or crust, would increase or de- 
crease in thickness according to atmospheric changes. 
