THE HONEY-BEE. 105 



below. Previous to availing themselves of the 

 added room, the bees reduce the thickness of the 

 edges of the combs. When new, the combs are of 

 a remarkably pure white colour, but soon assume a 

 yellowish hue, and when a year old, are of a deep 

 brown. This discoloration is believed by many to arise 

 from the vapours and heated air of the hive ; but is 

 attributed by Huber, erroneously we think, to some 

 direct action on the part of the Bees, which are fre- 

 quently seen rubbing the surface of the comb with 

 their teeth and fore-feet. In the construction of the 

 cells, the Bees adopt the hexagonal form, (PI. VI. Fig. 

 1, bj by) consisting of six equal sides, and begin their 

 operations at the bottom, prolonging by degrees the 

 pannels or sides. The bottom of a cell is composed 

 of three rhombs, or plates of wax in the shape of 

 lozenges or of card-diamonds, and disposed in such a 

 manner as to form a hollow pyramid. " The apex of 

 each pyramidal bottom, on one side of a comb, forms 

 the angles of the bases of three cells on the opposite 

 side, the three lozenges respectively concurring in 

 the formation of the bases of the same cells."* The 

 whole structure is so delicately thin, that three or 

 four of the sides, placed upon one another, have no 

 more thickness than a leaf of common paper. But 

 by the admirable disposition and arrangement of its 

 parts, "each cell, separately weak, is strengthened 

 by coincidence with others. The bottom of each 

 cell rests upon three partitions or pannels of opposite 

 cells, from which it receives a great accession of 

 * Be van on the Honey-Bee, 2d Edit. p. 391. 



