108 ARCHITECTURE OF BEES. 



in the bee, but in the Geometrician who made the 

 bee, and made all things in number, weight, and 

 measure. 



The cells in a honey-comb are of different dimen- 

 sions, corresponding to the different classes of bees, 

 of which they form the birth-place. Those of the 

 workers (PL VI. fig. 1, c, e,) are in depth about five 

 lines, or less than half an inch, and in diameter 2f 

 lines; those of the males (d, d, d.) are between six 

 and seven lines in depth, and 3^ in diameter. Both 

 of these are ultimately employed, after the breeding 

 season is past, as receptacles for honey. The male, 

 or drone cells are few compared with those of workers, 

 which last generally compose the whole of the central 

 combs, while the first are most frequently constructed 

 on the extremities of combs at some distance from 

 the centre. 



It is curious to note the proceedings of the bees 

 when about to pass from the construction of worker- 

 cells to those of males. They do not all at once 

 commence the latter of their full diameter ; such a 

 proceeding would utterly disorder the delicate arrange- 

 ment of the bases of the cells. But they build a few 

 rows of intermediate cells, whose diameter augments 

 progressively, until they gain the proportion proper 

 to the cells required. And in returning to those of 

 workers, a similar gradation is rigidly observed. The 

 irregularity apparent in these transition cells has 

 been accounted a defect. It is, on the contrary, an 

 additional instance of that wise instinct which teaches 

 them to quit the ordinary mode of proceeding, when 



