Formation of the Cells of Bees and Wasps. 125 
Now the chief difference between the hive-bee’s cell and that of 
the wasp is, that, in the former, the bottoms or bases of the cells 
are made up of plane surfaces ; whilst, in the case of the wasp, 
the cells are hemispherical (or nearly so) at the base; never 
showing either angles or plane surfaces. And the difference in 
the slabs of comb made by the two insects is this: a slab of wasp 
comb consists only of one layer of cells; all the cells opening out 
in one direction; whilst the slab of honeycomb presents cells on 
both surfaces, those on one surface being united to those of the 
opposite side by their bases, and, consequently, the openings of 
the cells of the two sides of the slab are in opposite directions. 
When it is stated (as is often done) that, in this case, each cell is 
exactly opposed to three other cells, only the more common con- 
dition of the honeycomb is described, for there is considerable 
variation in this respect, as I have already shown; and the number 
of the plates of which the base of the cell is composed, as well as 
their form and proportions, is varied accordingly. This difference 
in the form of the bases of the wasp cells and that of the hive bee, 
connected, as it is, by contact of opposing cells, on the one hand, 
and non-contact on the other, furnishes a very striking fact in 
connexion with the subject under consideration. 
But the cells of the honey-bee are not always angular at the 
base nor at the sides, as appears from certain experiments made 
by Mr. Tegetmeier. ‘“ My first experiment” (says this gentleman) 
“consisted in placing a flat parallel-sided block of wax in a hive 
containing a recent swarm. In this the cells were excavated by the 
bees at irregular distances. In every case where the excavation was 
isolate it was hemispherical, and the wax excavated was addéd at 
the margin, so as to constitute a cylindrical cell. As other exca- 
vations were made in contact mith those previously formed, the cells 
became flat-sided, but, from the irregularity of their arrangement, 
not necessarily hexagonal.” * 
The hexagonal cells I have been speaking of have for the most 
part been built under conditions which would not permit of the 
full diameter of the cell being carried out; but in the wasp comb, 
like that of the hive-bee, there are cells of larger size, which often 
appear quite suddenly, and extend over a considerable extent of 
surface: in the hive-bee they are known as the drone’s cells. Upon 
measuring these carefully, Ifind that their average diameter is equal 
to that of the ordinary cells, if measured across the centre from 
* See Report of the 28th Meeting of the British Association. ‘‘ Transactions 
of the Sections,” p. 132. 
