WINTERING BEES. 
331 
There is not sufficient animal heat generated to ex- 
hale the aqueous portion of their food. The philoso- 
phy that explains why a man in warm blood and in 
profuse perspiration would throw off or exhale more 
moisture than in a quiet state, will illustrate this. The 
bees in these circumstances must retain the water with 
the excrementitious part, which soon distends their 
bodies to the utmost, rendering them unable to endure 
it long. Their cleanly habits, that ordinarily save the 
combs from being soiled, is not a sure protection now, 
and they are compelled to leave the mass very often 
in the severest weather, to expel this unnatural accu- 
mulation of ffeces. It is frequently discharged even 
before leaving the comb, but most of it at the en- 
trance ; also some scattered on the front side of the 
hive, and a short distance from it. "In a moderately 
warm day, more bees will issue from a hive in this 
condition than from others ; it appears that a part of 
them are unable to discharge their burden — their 
weight prevents their flying — they get down and are 
lost. When cold weather is too long continued, they 
cannot wait for warm days to leave, but continue to 
come out at any time ; and not one of such can then 
return. The cluster inside the hive is thus reduced 
in numbers till they are unable to generate heat suffi- 
cient to keep from freezing. With the indications 
attendant upon such losses, my own observation has 
made me somewhat familiar, as the following con- 
versation will illustrate. 
