Page:Jardine Naturalist's library Bees.djvu/108

104 Its confined limits prevented any considerable number of bees from working at the foundation of the comb above. A large portion of them, therefore, began a comb, or rather two, (Pl. XV. Fig. 2, a, b,) on the rod which crosses the hive in the middle; and thus two combs were being constructed at the same time, and which ultimately became one. It appeared, however, that there was still a want of room, and of employment for these willing and industrious labourers; for to our surprise a portion of them began a comb (d, e,) on the upper side of the cross rod, and, contrary to their natural mode of proceeding, worked upwards; so that in a short period, the upper comb and the central piece met, and the whole formed ultimately one solid square. The surface of a new comb is not quite flat, but lenticular, that is, its thickness decreases towards the edges, and, consequently, the latest made cells are shorter or shallower than the others. So long as the comb has not reached its utmost limits, this shape is preserved; but when the bees have no more room for its enlargement, they make all the cells of equal depth, and thus it obtains two flat and straight surfaces, which it will continue to retain, unless in certain circumstances. Should it be broken by any means, the edges of what remains must be reduced again to their lenticular shape before the bees can repair the structure, and prolong it to its former dimensions. This happens also when the hive is enlarged, by giving it what is called in Scotland an eek, or addition