Formation of the Cells of Bees and Wasps. 123 
menced and carried on like that of the Osmia. In this case you 
observe there are two cells joined side by side; but as in other 
similar cells constructed by species of Humenes which have come 
under my notice the cells are isolated,* there can be little doubt 
these two cells were constructed separately. 
I compared the cell of the Osmia to that of the queen-bee of 
the hive, and I regret that I am unable to exhibit a perfect spe- 
cimen of a queen’s cell. On this piece of honeycomb, however, 
you will see two half-formed queen’s cells, and I am anxious that 
you should notice the peculiarities in the work of the hive-bee in 
the region of these cells. In order to form a foundation for one 
of these large cells, it being attached to a very irregular surface, 
an abundance of wax is used. The foundation being formed, 
however, this superfluous wax is not allowed to remain, but the 
bees immediately commence its removal, and it is evident that 
many must be engaged in this work. The queen’s cell is bur- 
rowed into in all parts. Where the wax is thinner, the surface of 
the cell is covered with little shallow, circular pits; where thicker, 
the pits are deeper and of larger diameter ; and what is worthy 
of remark is, that these pits are very rarely confluent, they are 
separated by walls of the same height. Lastly, at the base of 
the cell where the wax is thickest, the pits have, some of them, 
assumed the hexagonal form of the ordinary cells, but they are 
of but little depth and apparently useless. Between these and the 
small pits first noticed, there are other pits showing every inter- 
mediate condition,—some partly rounded and partly angular, and 
in those that are angular, the number of straight sides is very 
variable. Here are two little pits having a common flat partition 
between them, but which are elsewhere circular. The bottoms of 
the pits, moreover, are either circular or angular ; but, in all cases, 
it will be seen, upon examining them attentively, that wherever 
the pits are bounded by flat sides, the flat sides form the common 
partitions between themselves and adjoining cavities. This irre- 
gularity is not confined to the region of the queen’s cells, but 
occurs frequently in other parts of the comb. In the pieces of 
comb on the table there are cells with five and with seven} sides : 
there are cells, which, instead of having three plates at the bottom, 
* One of these isolated cells is figured by Mr. Smith in his ‘‘ Catalogue of 
Hymenopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum.” See Part V. 
Vespide, plate 6, fig. 7. 
+ Two specimens of 7-sided cells exhibited are cells of rather larger diameter 
than usual, and have surrounding them six cells varying slightly in size, and a 
small abortive seventh cell, ‘he sides of the 7-sided cell are therefore unequal, 
