BREEDING. 
66 
next combs, keeping the distance to the outside of the 
circle of eggs, to the centre or place of beginning, 
about equal on all sides, until they occupy the outside 
comb. Long before the outside comb is occupied, 
the first eggs deposited are matured, and the queen 
will return to the centre and use these cells again, but 
is not so particular this time to fill so many in such 
exact order as at first. This is the general process of 
small or medium sized families. I have removed the 
bees from such, in all stages of breeding, and always 
found their proceedings as described. 
DIFFERENT WITH LARGER ONES. 
But with very large families, their proceedings are 
different : as any part of the cluster of bees is warm 
enough for breeding, there is less necessity for econo- 
mizing heat, and having all the eggs confined to one 
small spot, some unoccupied cells will be found among 
the brood ; a few will contain honey and bee-bread. 
HOW POLLEN IS STORED IN THE BREEDING SEASON. 
But in the height of the breeding season, a circle of 
cells nearly all bee-bread, an inch or two wide, will 
border the sheets of comb containing brood. As bee- 
bread is probably the principal food of the young bee, 
it is thus very convenient. 
When pollen is abundant, and the swarm is in 
prosperous condition, they soon reach the outside 
sheets of comb with the brood. At this period, when 
the hive is about full, and tne queen is forced to the 
outside combs to find a place for her eggs, it is inter- 
