64 
THE HONEY-MAKERS. 
One practical advantage in the cellular struc- 
ture of the hive is, that the honey contained in 
these little jars, each carefully closed from the 
air by a lid of wax, is preserved from fermenta- 
tion. If it were stored in one mass in a single 
receptacle, it might, in warm weather, become 
sour and unfit for use. 
Cells are of different sizes ; the royal cells 
being the largest, those of the drones next, the 
workers’ the smallest. Such as are used for 
storehouses are of various diameters. The cells 
of drones have a convex lid, while in those of 
the workers it is nearly flat. Iluber once placed 
some grubs of workers in the cells of drones ; the 
misplacement was quickly detected, for the bees 
soon gave them a flat covering. The cells of 
the workers are made first, then those of the 
drones, usually near the bottom of the comb, and, 
lastly, the royal cells. Of the latter there are 
usually three or four, although sometimes as 
many as ten or twelve. These are attached to 
the central part, though occasionally they are 
placed on the edge of the comb ; they taper grad- 
ually downward, and the exterior is pierced with 
