12 



BEES. 



Fig. 1. 



Front. 



Tho front, side, and back views of the block on which the first escava. 

 tions for the cells are made. 



Fig. 4. 



r'iiii>ii!.iiiii'Hi!i|i|ililii| |i llliililiiilii!iil i_ iV!jn^ijjji^^ 



Front view magnified. 



Transverse section through the same. 



•bodies between the wax-workers than they commence ope- 

 rations on the comparatively rude block thus prepared 

 for them. One bee commences the architectural orna- 

 ments of the hive, by excavating a shallow, circular, 

 basin-like hole in one side of the block of wax, adding- 

 to the sides material which it has scraped out of the hol- 

 low. This is the first intimation of a cell. At the same 

 time two other sculpturer-bees are hard at work upon the 

 other side of the block, excavating similar hollows, which 

 are so contrived that the point where they meet exactly co- 

 incides with the centre of the first cell upon the opposite 

 side. By building upon this foundation, and by adding to 

 the edges, a double series of cells are built closely adjoin- 

 ing to one another, and with their entrances opening oppo- 

 :6ite ways. The circular hollow upon Fig. 1, represents the 



