5 44 
ARCHITECTURE OF HIVE-BEE. 
regarded as truly marvellous, and as affording one of tlie most 
remarkable examples of the operation of instinct. The very 
small discrepancy, amounting to only Wo minutes of a degree 
(or 1-10,800th part of the whole circle), was usually sup¬ 
posed to result from a slight error in the observation of the 
angle employed by the Bees ; until Lord Brougham, not being 
satisfied with this explanation, applied himself to a fresh 
mathematical investigation of the question; and he showed 
that, owing to the neglect of certain small quantities, the 
result previously obtained was erroneous to the exact amount 
of two minutes ; so that the Bees proved to be right, and the 
Mathematician wrong. 1 
714. The ordinary cells of the comb are of two sizes; one 
for the larvae of the working-bees, and the other for those of 
Fig. 2S7.— Apiary. 
the drones. Both of these may be used for laying-up a store 
of food, either for themselves or their progeny; but it is ob¬ 
served that in the breeding season 
the central portion only of each comb 
is tenanted by the young Bees, this 
being the part of the hive where 
they will most constantly obtain the 
warmth requisite for their develop- 
Fig. 288 .-ROYAL Cells. ment (§ 4H). The deposition of 
the eggs in these cells only, therefore, is another remark- 
1 See his Supplement to New Edition of Paley’s Natural Theology. 
