486 HABITATIONS OF INSECTS. 



easy communication from one to the other without los- 

 ing time by §oi<ig- r und. 



The arrangement of the combs is well adapted for 

 its purpose, but it is the construction of the cells which 

 is most admirable and astonishing". As these are formed 

 of wax, a substance secreted by the bees in no great 

 abundance, it is important that as little as possible of 

 such a precious material should be consumed. Bees, 

 therefore, in the formation of their cells have to solve 

 a problem which would puzzle some geometer^, namely, 

 a quantity of wax being given, to form of it similar and 

 equal ceils of a determinate capacity, but of the largest 

 size in proportion to the quantity of matter employed, 

 and disposed in such a manner as to occupy in the hive 

 the least possible space. Every part of this problem is 

 practically solved by bees. If their cells had been cy- 

 lindrical, which form seems best adapted to the shape 

 of a bee, they could not have been applied to each 

 other without leaving- numberless superfluous vacui- 

 ties. If the ceils were made square or triangular, this 

 last objection, indeed, would be removed ; but besides 

 that a greater quantity of wax would have been re- 

 quired, the shape would have been inconvenient to a 

 cylindrical-bodied animal. All these diftlculties are 

 obviated by the adoption of hexagonal cells, which are 

 admirably fitted to the form of the insect, at the salme 

 time that their sides apply to each other without the 

 smallest vacant intervals. — Another important savin<^ 

 in materials is gained by making a common base serve 

 for two strata of cells. Much more wax as well as room 

 would have been required, had the combs consisted of 

 ci single stratum only. But this is not all. The base 



