186 Mr. Newport on the Habits and Structure 



are at work deepening the cells already partially formed, by the 

 addition of new materials around the edges of the walls. Thus 

 the comb is always edged with little shallow cups, the basis of 

 new cells, which are either only partially or completely formed, 

 between which and the completed cells there are always one or 

 more rows in an unfinished state ; that wall of each cell which is 

 nearest to the centre of the comb being the most finished. It is 

 thus evident that the bees always work from the centre to the 

 circumference of the combs, and the cells on one side regularly 

 correspond with those on the other. But it sometimes happens 

 that two portions of comb are commenced at a distance from, but 

 in a line with, each other, and cells are added to each until the 

 two are united together. When this is the case it usually happens 

 that one of these pieces is nearly completed before the other is 

 hardly commenced, and the rows of cells in one of them differ in 

 direction from those in the other, so that where the two pieces are 

 united (as in the combs now produced) there are necessarily some 

 irregularly formed and imperfect cells, some of them being much 

 smaller, and others much larger, than usual. In one of these 

 specimens the enlargement of one or two cells results from the 

 union of two unequal portions of a cell in each piece of comb ; 

 and in the other instances in which the form of some of the cells . 

 is pentagonal, and even quadrate, that it results from the space 

 between the two pieces of comb to be united being too small to 

 admit of the formation of perfect cells. It also happens occa- 

 sionally that the rows of cells on one side of a comb have a dif- 

 ferent direction from some of those on the opposite, although 

 there is scarcely any difference in the size of the cells on the two 

 sides. This occurrence I believe is exceedingly rare, and gives 

 rise to a curious circumstance which is well shown in one of my 

 specimens, namely, the formation, not of the usual rhomboid 

 pyramidal bases to the cells, nor of any of the transitionary forms, 

 which occur in combs when the large male cells are constructed 

 near the common sized ones for working bees, but of jjerfectly 

 flattened bases to many of the cells, without the slightest angle. 

 In these cases the walls of the cells on one side of a comb exactly 

 correspond to those on the other. Some of these circumstances 

 have already been noticed by Huber, Dr. Bevan, and others, but 

 they are exceedingly curious and merit further investigation. 



When a comb is constructed at right angles with the glass 

 window of a hive, it affords an excellent opportunity of witnessing 

 the manner in which the bee unites the new wax to the old, when 

 enlarging or founding a cell : and when the bee is working in a 



