Mr. W. Sells's Experiments on Honeycomb. 103 



parts, as the hepatic vessels, may not be shown, the oesophagus, 

 stomach, and intestinal canal, also the ovaries, &c. will often be 

 very perfect. 



Experiments with portions of old Honeycomb. 

 [Read 3rd June, 1839.] , 



April 2. Subjected 30 grains of old honeycomb-cells, free from 

 pollen, repeatedly to the action of boiling water by macera- 

 tion, stirring them frequently ; the little wax remaining at 

 the outward edges of the cells became melted, and the cells 

 separated from one another ; when perfectly dry they weighed 

 27 grains, having lost only three grains in weight. 

 April 5. Weighed 2^ ounces of comb, and boiled it in water for 

 10 minutes ; strained the fluid, and obtained about 3 drams 

 of wax ; dried the remainder during 6 hours in an oven, 

 when it weighed \^ ounces. 

 April 10. Placed 2^ ounces of comb in an oven for 8 hours, it 

 yielded only about 2 drams of wax ; and the comb, although 

 so long exposed to such considerable heat, weighed near 2 

 ounces. 

 The greater reduction of weight in the second experiment 



proves that much soluble matter had been taken up by the water 



in boiling. 



April 15. Exposed a quantity of the comb which had been 

 acted upon by boiling and then dried, to the heat of a coal 

 fire, in a shovel placed over the same ; as soon as it was 

 quite exsiccated, it inflamed and burnt to carbon, each cell 

 retaining its original form. 

 This change of the original waxen cell into a substance of so 



very different a nature is a curious and interesting fact, and not 



undeservine of further observation. 



Note respecting the Egg-cases of Blattce. 



[Read October 1st, 1838.] 



Having lately received from the Island of Jamaica, among other 

 things, many specimens of the egg-capsules of three species of 

 Blattce, I was induced to examine their internal structure, and, as 



