IIIVE-BEES. 109 



repose, recalled our former observations. Gorged with the 

 honey we had put within their reach, and continuing in 

 this condition during twenty -four hours, wax was formed 

 under their rings, and was now ready to be put in opeia- 

 tion. To our great satisfaction, we soon saw a little foun- 

 dation wall rising on one of the slips that we had prepared 

 to receive the superstructure. No obstacle was offered to 

 the progress of our observations ; and for the second time 

 we beheld both the undertaking of the founder-bee, and the 

 successive labours of several wax-workers, in forming the 

 foundation wall. ^Vould that my readers could share the 

 interest which the view of these architects inspired ! 



" This foundation, originally very small, was enlarged as 

 the work required ; while they excavated on one side a 

 hollow, of about the width of a common cell, and on the 

 opposite surface two others somewhat more elongated. 

 The middle of the single cell corresponded exactly to the 

 partition separating the latter : the arches of these excava- 



n|rgi||/ |j|ipnir-f|^ 



Foundation-wall enlarged, and the Cells commenced. 



tions, projecting by the accumulation of wax, were con- 

 verted into ridges in a straight line ; whence the cells of 

 the first row were composed of five sides, considering the 

 slip as one side, and those of the second row, of six sides. 



" The interior conformation of the cavities, apparentl}^, 

 was derived from the position of their respective outlines. 

 It seemed that the bees, endowed with an admirable deli- 

 cacy of feeling, directed their teeth principally to the 

 place where the wax was thickest ; that is, the parts where 

 other workers on the opposite side had accumulated it ; and 

 this explains why the bottom of the cell is excavated in 

 an angular direction behind the projection on the sides of 

 which the sides of the corresponding cells are to rise. 

 The largest of the excavations, which M^as opposite to three 



