348 C. DAWSON AND S. A. WOODHEAD [NOVEMBER 
formed in any case, but their size is undoubtedly regulated by the 
thickness of the plate of wax, the rule being the thinner the plate 
the more minute the individual hexagon. The same result may be 
obtained on a much smaller scale so as to produce only one or two 
hexagonal forms, but the operator will then find that the difficulty 
lies in the rapid cooling at the sides of so small a mass of wax. 
The explanation of the formation of these hexagonal bodies is as 
follows :— 
On cooling, the wax at first forms into nuclei of nearly equal size. 
On the shrinking of the wax by further cooling, these nuclei or 
spheroids are pressed together, forming planes at their points of 
contact. Should the wax be rapidly chilled before these spheroidal 
bodies are formed to their full extent, they are then prevented from 
coming into contact one with another by the intervening nebulous 
masses of “uncentralised” particles of wax. It would appear by 
microscopic examination that these particles are also smaller nuclei 
which become absorbed in the larger. They also, like the larger, 
assume hexagonal form. In this state the nuclei appear when cold 
as solid circular bodies. 
The hexagons appear very distinctly above and below the surface 
while the wax is cooling. When it is actually solid, their forms are 
often very indistinctly seen, or may be altogether invisible, but they 
are none the less present. The bases of these hexagons, which le 
mid-way between those visible at the top and those at the bottom, 
are pointed and are arranged so that the point of the base of the 
upper hexagon coincides with the points of contact of the lower 
hexagons as in the honeycomb. These bases can be observed by 
making a very thin microscopic section, but several hundred sections 
had to be examined before they were made out with certainty. 
When a small amount of resin and turpentine is added to bees- 
wax and melted, and the mixture is allowed to get cold, the outlines 
of the planes of contact on the hexagons are more distinct and are 
to be seen raised upon the surface. Under these circumstances they 
may be easily rubbed with black lead, which still further increases 
their visibility. 
Our chief experiment was next to put our theory to a practical 
test, and observe in what manner the bees would deal with a cast 
sheet of pure beeswax, which, when viewed by a side light, distinctly 
showed traces of these natural hexagons over its surface. 
Before introducing it to the bees, we had traced upon it with 
vermilion a group of the hexagons which appeared near the centre of 
the plate. (Another group we black-leaded.) This was then photo- 
graphed, after which the wax plate was placed in an observatory-hive 
on a bar-frame. The bees soon started upon it, proceeding to excavate 
round hollows in the centres of the hexagons, at the edges of the 
plate, pushing out on all sides the débris around the edge of each 
