NATURAL THEOLOGY. 181 



What could save a person, when slipping upon the 

 edge of a precipice, if he had no instinct to produce 

 a sudden exertion, but must first consider his danger 

 and wait the decision of his understanding 1 



T. You may mention some examples of this re- 

 markable faculty in animals. 



A.. The honey bee, from the days of Virgil, has 

 been celebrated for its sagacity in gathering its honey 

 and wax, in fabricating its comb, and in rearing its 

 young. But it has not till recently been discovered^ 

 that its works will bear such a critical examination of 

 the mechanic and mathematician. It is a curious ma. 

 thematical problem, what is the best manner of ma- 

 king a frame of bones laid side by side, and one upon 

 another like a honey-comb, so as to produce the great- 

 est strength, and the utmost possible saving of mate- 

 rials and labor ? It was seen, that each of the boxes 

 should be a figure of six sides, a hexagon. Such is 

 the form of the cells of the honey-comb. It was also 

 perceived, that the bottom of each box should not 

 stand exactly upon the top of the one underneath ? 

 that is, not rim upon rim, but that every box should 

 be placed so as to have three partitions meet on the 

 under side, forming a buttress to strengthen the bot- 

 tom. Such also is the structure of the honey-comb. 

 It was further demonstrated, that the bottom of each 

 box should not be a single plane or flat, like the bot- 

 tom of a bucket, but should consist of three pieces 

 making a spreading or obtuse angle with the sides of 

 the box and also with one another. Such again is 

 Q. 



