Page:Jardine Naturalist's library Bees.djvu/302

298 interior of a hive presents, like that of the humble-bee in our own country, a confused and irregular appearance. The combs, which have but one series of cells, are placed, some in a vertical position, and others horizontal—the latter, superior to the other in regularity of form, and of distance from one another. They are grouped together in an oval mass, and occupy nearly half of the internal space, while the other half is stored with the honey cups. The cells which are destined solely for the rearing of the brood are, like ours, hexangular, though the angles are not so sharply defined, nor is the mouth of the cell strengthened by an additional ring of wax. The diameter is the same with that of ours, but the depth less by one-fifth. It is singular that the young bees are found in the cells with their hinder parts directed towards the mouth; in being hatched, they will of course, make their exit through the bottom, not having the impediment to encounter there which would obstruct the issue of the European bee. The honey, as has been stated, is deposited in small globular bags, hung round the sides of the hive, or placed at the bottom; some of these receptacles are more than 1½ inch in diameter; and in many instances are so connected together that, as in the case of cells of common honey combs, one side serves for two cups, thus combining economy and strength. And these magazines of honey being altogether apart from the brood-combs, and noways connected with them, great facility is afforded in depriving the bees of their stores. The honey is