ARTIFICIAL AIDS TO COMB-BUILDING 
21 I 
ing out impressed sheet, made by the Mehring plates 
(Fig. 47), giving barely 15^ cells to the same space, 
indicating, as another fact will presently yet more 
forcibly show, how sensitive they are to the size of 
the cell. It is apparent also that the different races 
of bees we have amongst us do not all make the 
cradles for their larvae of the same size ; e.g., the 
blacks build drone-comb four cells to the inch ; but 
I have a fine large slab of most perfect workmanship, 
turned out by a Carniolan stock, measuring all over it 
accurately 3^ cells to the inch. There now lies before 
me a comb, started with 2in. of foundation, 14J 
cells to the 3in. ; but the eye, running along the 
two opposite diagonals, which are at 6odeg. to the 
horizon when the comb is in situ, shows that the 
lines of cells are curved from each other, proving 
that the bees have disagreed with the sized cell 
of the foundation, and have actually contrived near 
the bottom of the slab to make their cells 14 to 
3in. only. Both Mr. Raitt and myself pointed out 
many years since that Root’s earlier foundation, 
giving 13^ cells to the 3in., was accepted only with 
ill grace, and that the combs were often modelled 
into a mixture of drone, worker, and misshapen cells ; 
and Mr. Raitt suggests using this very foundation 
for sections, because it would not suit the taste of 
the queen any way. Yet, is it not possible that there 
are certain strains of the larger races — the Carniolans, 
by example — to which it would be even more accept- 
able than that which we regard as orthodox ? 1 he 
sizes of the races are so characteristically marked, 
that this point must have practical importance. In 
