THE BEE. 347 



their bases. The combs are longer or shorter as best 

 suits their convenience. 'Reaumur suspected from the 

 hexagonal form of tiie cells, and the uniform inclination 

 of the base, that this was the most economical form which 

 could be adopted with respect to the quantity of wax 

 necessary. \Vithout intimating his object, he presented 

 for scjlution the following problem to Koenig, a celebra- 

 ted analyst, " among all the hexagonal tubes with pyramid- 

 dal bases, composed of three similar and equal rhombs, 

 to determine that which can be constructed with the 

 least possible quantity of matter." Koenig worked out 

 the problem, and re[)lied that if three rhombs were so in- 

 clined to each other that the great angles measured 109'^ 

 26' and the little angles 70^34', this construction would 

 require the least quantity of matter. Reaumur found 

 by accurate measurement, that the great angles gave 

 lOO'^SS'and the little one 70° 32' l' How surprisingly 

 is the wisdom of God manifested in endowinor these in- 

 sects with a wisdom surpassing that of many of even the 

 wisest of the human family. 



It is stated by Iluber, that the principle of a division 

 of labor is adopted very extensively in all the opera- 

 tions of the hive. In constructing cells, different parts 

 of the labor are performed by different bees. Some ap- 

 pear to be highly accomplished architects, who plan and 

 build the edifice. They are also the nurses and protec- 

 tors of the young. Others seem to labor in more hum- 

 jjle employments, and merely bring the raw material. 



The wax is not a simple substance which the bees col- 

 lect ready formed, but it is a secretion from their own 

 bodies. The wax workers having fed plentifully upon 

 the delicious nectar which they find in the cups of al- 

 most every flower, remain in a state of repose for about 

 twentyfour hours, during which time the wax is formed 

 and secreted in layers or scales beneath the belly. These 

 scales they take hold of with the little pincers with which 

 their legs are furnished, and peel off. The bee then 

 kneads the detached scale with its tongue and deposits it 

 in the proper place for the formation of the cells. Another 

 and another does the same. A little block of wax being 

 thus collected, an architect takes the work under his own 



