HIVE-BEES. 131 



base, are all double; or, in other words, that each 

 cell is a distinct, separate, and in some measure an 

 independent structure, agglutinated only to the neigh- 

 bouring cells; and that when the agglutinating sub- 

 stance is destroyed, each cell may be entirely sepa- 

 rated from the rest, 



" I have nlso some specimens of the cells formed 

 by wasps, which shew that the partitions between 

 them are also double, and that the agglutinating sub- 

 stance between them is more easily destroyed than 

 that between the cells of the bee."* 



Irregularities in their Workmanship. 



Though bees, however, work with great uniformity 

 when circumstances favour their operations, they may 

 be compelled to vary their proceedings. M. Huber 

 made several ingenious experiments of this kind. 

 The following, mentioned by Dr Be van, . was acci- 

 dental, and occured to his friend Mr Walond. 

 " Inspecting his bee-boxes at the end of October, 

 1817, he perceived that a centre comb, burdened 

 with honey, had separated from its attachments, and 

 was leaning against another comb, so as to prevent 

 the passage of the bees between them. This acci- 

 dent excited great activity in the colony; but its 

 nature could not be ascertained at the time. At the 

 end of a week, the weather being cold, and the bees 

 clustered together, Mr Walond observed, through 

 the window of the box, that they had constructed 

 two horizontal pillars betwixt the combs alluded to; 

 and had removed so much of the honey and wax 

 from the top of each, as to allow the passage of a 

 bee: in about ten days more, there was an unin- 

 terrupted thoroughfare; the detached comb at its 

 iipper part had been secured by a strong barrier, and 



* Memoirs of the Wernerian iVat. Hist. Soc. vol. ii. p. 260. 



