THE COMB-BUILDERS _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE MOSES RUSDEN’S BEE-BOOK 28 BUTLER’S “BEES MADRIGALL” 34 JOHN THORLEY IN HIS STUDY 40 INVERTED STRAW HIVE 50 AN OLD SUSSEX BEE-HOUSE 60 COMB-FRAME FROM MODERN HIVE 72 WINTER IN THE BEE-GARDEN 86 DRONE-BROOD AND WORKER-BROOD 94 QUEEN-BEE LAVING 106 A QUEEN-CELL 110 THE HONEY-BEE, IN FACT AND FANCY 128 BROOD-COMB, SHOWING ALL STAGES OF BEE-LIFE 140 THE BEE-NURSERY 166 A SWARM IN MAY 174 A MAMMOTH SWARM 178 HIVING THE SWARM 182 THE SWARM HIVED 188 HONEYCOMB CONSTRUCTION 206 COMB BUILT UPWARDS 216 IN THE STOREHOUSE 230 QUEEN-BEE IN OFF-SEASON 248 BAD BEEMANSHIP 264 A FOREST APIARY 272 INTRODUCTION THE OLDEST CRAFT UNDER THE SUN ONE of the oldest and prettiest fables in ancient mythology is that which deals with the origin of the honey-bee. It was to Melissa and her sister Amalthea, the beautiful daughters of the King of Crete, that the god Jupiter was entrusted by his mother Ops, when Saturn, his father—following his custom of devouring his children at birth—sought to make the usual meal of this, his latest offspring.