486 Transactions. — Zoology. 



the outside of the cluster, and those upon the outside going 

 inwards to reheve those holding on to the hough, and to give 

 them a spell from bearing the heavy weight of the cluster. 

 The young bees, new to life, know that it is their bounden 

 duty to do this, and not to go flying about seeking honey. 

 "Will any person for one moment say that the bees have been 

 taught to do this sensible work by the principle of natural 

 selection ? — that only those bees have survived which have 

 known how to swarm properly ? Or will they not admit 

 with me that there is some guiding energy or intelligence 

 which tells the young bees how to swarm now, as it has 

 told them for a million years, and just as it tells them how 

 to plane and shape the basal rhombic plates of their cells? 



It will be noticed in box A that the hanging wall of comb 

 grows downwards until it reaches the bench upon which the 

 box rests within a distance of about -^in. Pass a straight- 

 edge over the box and this space will at once be seen. This 

 space is left for ventilation and room in the hive. The bees 

 have to think of proper ventilation just as we have. On very 

 warm, calm days a certain number stand at the entrance to 

 their hives and convert themselves into miniature air-fans by 

 rapid vibration of their wings. No doubt the comb-walls are 

 constructed to afford a free ventilating- space. The cell there- 

 fore lengthens outwards as the comb -wall descends, the 

 wall itself usually having a sharp edge, which is the first form- 

 ing of the basal rhombic plates. But, no matter how these 

 wonderful basal plates start, the rhomb or cell very slightly 

 curves outwards from them, and lengthens to its proper 

 position in the layer. There appears to be only one set of 

 basal plates in the comb-wall, even when one side of the 

 wall is lengthened to three times the ordinary length of the 

 cell so as to form a stay. Of course, there cannot well be 

 more, otherwise there would be a closed and vacant cell in 

 the centre of the wall. The bees know quite well how and 

 when to make their cells of different lengths as circumstances 

 require. In this a most marvellous intelHgence is displayed, 

 the cells having to vary by gradation from the ordinary to 

 three times their ordinary length. The mere fact of lengthen- 

 ing the cell into different lengths as required shows that there 

 is a guiding principle at work far removed from the mere 

 " blind sweeping of equal sphei'es at stated distances." The 

 bees work from cell to cell, from base and angle, with mathe- 

 matical precision, leaving the whole wall a perfectly-finished, 

 work. The marvel lies in this continuity of simplicity in the 

 angular construction, proving undoubtedly to any unprejudiced 

 mind that there is no blindness whatever in the bees' mode 

 of working. 



But can it be said that the hexagonal cell is the result 



