. British bee journal & bee-keepers adviser. Bees. 172 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [February 1, 1877. could take possession of the empty cells, and having crept into them and filled them on both sides of the combs as far as was practicable, other bees would cluster between such combs and form what might be called a solid mass capable of generating sufficient life-main- taining heat to enable the whole to survive. At the same time, it must be understood that paucity of numbers precluded the idea of breeding through lack of income ; there being no foragers because the smallness of their populat
. British bee journal & bee-keepers adviser. Bees. 172 THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL. [February 1, 1877. could take possession of the empty cells, and having crept into them and filled them on both sides of the combs as far as was practicable, other bees would cluster between such combs and form what might be called a solid mass capable of generating sufficient life-main- taining heat to enable the whole to survive. At the same time, it must be understood that paucity of numbers precluded the idea of breeding through lack of income ; there being no foragers because the smallness of their population necessitated their clustering for self-preservation as before stated. Yet when the weather permitted them to expand, and eggs and brood took the place of the bees in the cells, and the latter (the bees) occupying more space in the hive were enabled, while nursing the brood, to send out some of their number as ingatherers, the recuperation of their strength became a matter of time only, and after the lapse of three or four weeks the increase would be most rapid, and bees would soon be hatching at the rate of one, two, or three thousands per day. On the other hand, the stocks that had untimely been tempted to breed, had, while the fine weather lasted, filled their combs with brood in all stages; and it will be evident to an ordinary mind, that when the cells are occupied with brood, it is im- possible for the bees to creep into them as they do when empty cells present themselves, and consequently a 'spell' of cold weather, while causing the bees to condense themselves into the smallest compass for the sake of warmth, has them at its mercy if it be continued for a few days. It is tolerably well understood that brood of itself cannot generate sufficient heat in winter to keep itself alive, although in hot weather, if a hive, well charged with brood in all stages, be suddenly deprived of its bees, much of the brood will hatch, the stock hive continue to exist. The fact is due to
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