378 INSECTS AT HOME. 



dissections, and was particularly pleased with the wax plates. 

 He took the bottle to the window to examine the plates more 

 easily, held the bottle in the hot rays of the sun, and 

 melted the six plates into six formless waxen drops. 



A sufficient quantity of wax being obtained, the Bees set to 

 work at kneading it with their jaws, and continue to do so 

 until they have made it quite plastic. They then begin their 

 labours, and, urged by an instinct which is quite beyond our 

 comprehension, construct with this substance a double set of 

 perfectly hexagonal cells, which practically illustrate the 

 problem of constructing a vessel which shall consume the 

 minimum of material and hold the naaximum of contents. 

 The mathematical problems involved in the structure of the 

 bee-cell are most interesting, but there is not sufficient space 

 at our command. I would, therefore, refer the reader to my 

 ' Homes without Hands,' page 428, in which these problems 

 are given in detail. Suffice it to say that the key to the 

 structure of the bee-cell lies in the angles of the three equal 

 lozenge-shaped plates which form the base of the cell. 



If the reader will examine a fresh bee-comb he will see that 

 the edges of the cells are much thickened and rounded, besides 

 being rather darker and redder than the wax which forms the 

 sides. The material with which this is done is termed ' pro- 

 polis,' and is a gummy substance obtained by the Bees from 

 certain trees, among which the horse-chestnut is conspicuous. 

 Everyone is familiar with the sticky substance that coats the 

 buds of this tree, and guards them from the weather. This is 

 the principal source of the propolis, and the Bees may be seen 

 continually scraping off and carrying home this material, which 

 they use as a cement as well as a strengthening edging to the 

 cells. 



Still looking at the comb, the reader will see that the cells 

 are not quite horizontal, but that they slope slightly from 

 mouth to base. The object of this slope is that they shall the 

 more easily receive the honey which is stored in them, and 

 which is, when first placed in the cells, nearly as transparent 

 and liquid as water. In fact, it is much of the consistency of 

 eau sucree. Honey is a really peculiar substance. It is not 

 obtained ready-made from the flowers, and simply transferred 

 to tne cells. 



