148 INSECT ARTIZANS AND THEIR WORK 



is no evidence of parsimony in the construction 

 of the royal cell ; the precious wax is lavished here 

 to form thick walls, rough and irregular without, 

 but smooth and polished within. 



We have spoken of the economy shown in build- 

 ing the ordinary cells. The walls are so thin that 

 light passes through them, but those of the queen 

 cells are quite opaque. The outer edge of the 

 ordinary cell is thickened into a sort of rim, as 

 this has to be subjected to much friction from 

 the feet of the workers frequently passing over it, 

 whilst the lower parts of the walls are supported 

 by the mutual pressure of the honey in adjacent 

 cells. Roughly speaking, these cells may be said 

 to be horizontal, but there is a slight inclination 

 downward from the mouth to the base. Although 

 the cells are in this position, honey does not run 

 out, chiefly owing to capillary attraction, though 

 it might do so in very hot weather when the honey 

 becomes more fluid. Until a cell is quite full of 

 honey it cannot be capped, and it will be easily 

 understood that an enormous number of journeys 

 is required before the little workers can bring 

 home sufficient honey to fill one cell. 



To prevent running, the workers have resort to 

 an ingenious device : they obtain a little honey 

 from one of their first-filled cells which is of a 

 firmer, denser character, owing to evaporation, 

 and this is made to float upon the new honey. 

 In places remote from a proper water-supply 

 system, where the water for domestic use has to be 



