THE BEE FOUNDRESS. 207 



kneads with her mouth, then deposits the first portion of wax, 

 in other words lays the foundation of the waxen city;- 

 Jiow this conspicuous individual, then retiring, leaves a second 

 bee to imitate her example ; then, in succession, a third and 

 fourth, and so on, till a block or wall of wax is formed at top 

 of the domed hive; hoiv, subsequently, the shapeless mass 

 thus accumulated is excavated and moulded into honey-comb 

 cells, those admirable solutions of that difficult geometric 

 problem which requires "A quantity of wax being given, to 

 form thereof similar and equal cells of a determinate capacity, 

 but of the largest size in proportion to the quantity of matter 

 employed, and disposed in such a manner as to occupy the least 

 possible space." These conditions are exactly fulfilled in the 

 six-sided cell of a bee, which is of a shape also the best 

 adapted to its body. In what manner the little mathematician 

 is led to the end desired is matter of dispute, whether it be the 

 result of contriving mind, or consequent on the form of the 

 jaws and other fashioning instruments ; though betwixt, these 

 and the work produced there is no apparent correspondence. 

 In either case, however, we must equally agree with Dr. Reid, 

 that " Geometry is not in the bee, but in the Great Geome- 

 trician who made the bee, and made all things in number, 

 weight, and measure/' 



As the work of comb-making proceeds, we are presented 

 with another wonderful example of the division of labour 

 amongst Bee artificers. When the wax-workers have produced 



