THE HONEY-BEE. 



have, says Reaumur, to solve this difficult geo- 

 metrical problem : ' A quantity of wax being given, 

 to form of it similar and equal cells of a determin- 

 ate capacity, but of the largest size in proportion 

 to the matter employed, and disposed in such a 

 manner as to occupy the least possible space in the 

 hive.' Wonderful to reflect upon, this problem is 

 solved by bees in all its conditions, in their con- 

 struction of hexagonal or six-sided cells. The 

 square and the equilateral triangle are the only 

 other two figures which could make the cells all 

 equal and similar without interstices. But cells of 

 these figures would either consume more material 

 or be weaker ; and they would also occupy more 

 space, besides being less adapted to the form of 

 the bee. In short, the hexagonal form combines all 

 the requisites of economy and capacity. Another 

 wonderful arrangement is seen in the construction 

 of the bottoms of the cells. Each of these is com- 

 posed of three rhombs or plates of wax in the shape 

 of card diamonds, disposed in such a manner as to 

 form a hollow pyramid, the apex of which forms 

 the angles of the bases of three cells on the 

 opposite side, giving to each of them one of the 

 three diamond-shaped plates which is required to 

 form their bases. Now,, the three rhombs, compos- 

 ing each cell-bottom, have the two obtuse angles 

 each of no degrees, and, consequently, each 

 of the two acute angles of 70 degrees. Koenig, 

 on being desired by Reaumur to calculate the 

 exact angle which would give the greatest economy 

 of wax in a cell of such figure, found that the angle 

 should be 109 degrees 26 minutes, or 1 10 degrees 

 nearly. Other geometricians have arrived at 

 similar conclusions. The problem is one of great 

 difficulty, yet the bee practically solves it at once, 

 under the guidance of the Great Geometrician who 

 made both the bee and the law on which it pro- 

 ceeds. Attempts have been made to ascribe the 

 form of the cells to the peculiar shape of the head 

 of the bee, and the instruments which it employs ; 

 but all such explanations have been found liable 

 to insuperable objections. 



The cells of the bee are extremely delicate, two 

 or three plates or sides being of the consistence 

 only of a common leaf of paper. They are made 

 strong, however, by mutual support and other 

 means. Besides a sort of froth which the insect 

 mixes with the wax, the cells, at first of a dull 

 white, soon appear yellow on the interior, the 

 change arising from the plastering over them of 

 a compound varnish of wax and propolis. Each 

 cell is soldered, too, at its mouth by a similar 

 compound of a reddish colour, having in it more 

 propolis ; and threads of the same substance are 

 laid around the walls, to bind and strengthen them. 

 It is now to be observed that all cells are not 

 alike. They have four different uses in the econ- 

 omy of the hive, and are constructed variously to 

 suit these. One set of cells is for holding the eggs 

 or embryos of worker-bees ; a second for those 

 of males or drones ; a third for those of young 

 queens, hence called royal cells ; and a fourth set 

 is for the reception of honey and pollen. The 

 first are generally about five lines in depth (or less 

 than half an inch), and two lines and two-fifths in 

 diameter. The cells of the young males are much 

 less numerous, and measure from six to seven 

 lines in depth, by three and a half in diameter. 

 It is worthy of note, that in passing from the con- 

 struction of worker-cells to those of drones, in the 



same comb, the architects do not alter the size at 

 once, but gradually, thus disordering in the slight- 

 est possible degree the delicate arrangement of 

 the bases of the cells. In shifting from larger to 

 smaller, the same rule is observed. A small num- 

 ber only of royal cells, about ten or twelve, are 

 constructed on ordinary occasions. They are 

 about an inch in depth, and nearly one-third of an 

 inch in width, with walls about an eighth of an inch 

 in thickness. After the breeding season is over, 

 the cells both of worker and male bees are used 

 for holding honey. Those made purposely for that 

 end are chiefly marked by a greater divergence 

 from the horizontal plane, that the honey may be 

 better secured ; and it is curious to observe that, in 

 a very warm season, these wise insects give the floor 

 a still greater dip from the mouth inwards. As 

 the store enlarges, they seal up the mouth with a 

 ring of wax, to which they gradually add concen- 

 tric layers till the cell is filled, when they close it 

 altogether reserving its treasure for use during 

 winter and spring. Pollen, as brood-food, is kept 

 in cells of considerable size. 



Laying of Eggs. 



A very short time elapses ere a great number of 

 cells are constructed ; for, in the height of the 

 honey season, a good swarm has been known to 

 build four thousand in a day. The queen-mother 

 very soon begins the task of laying eggs. A thou- 

 sand conjectures have been hazarded as to the 

 mode in which the fecundation of the female bee 

 takes place. No observer has yet been able to 

 discover any contact with the drones in the hive. 

 It was supposed by Swammerdam that a certain 

 aura or odour from the males was all that was 

 necessary to render the eggs of the queen pro- 

 ductive ; while M. Debrau imagined that the eggs, 

 as in the case of frogs and fishes, were fecundated 

 by a fluid from the drone after being laid. M. 

 Hattorf thought, again, that the queen was fecun- 

 dated by herself alone. All these opinions Huber 

 refuted in a satisfactory manner, by separations 

 and confinements of the insects in various ways. 

 He at length came to the belief, founded on 

 experiments which appear almost decisive of the 

 question, that the female bee never becomes 

 fruitful in the hive, but requires to go abroad for 

 that purpose ; and it has been also thought 

 probable that the fecundation takes place by con- 

 tact in the air, as is known to occur in the case of 

 winged ants. The number of drones in a hive 

 has been thought a most unintelligible circum- 

 stance. Huber's views explain the matter fully. 

 It is essential that they should be numerous, that 

 the female may have a chance of meeting them 

 abroad ; and it is to be observed that she always 

 quits the hive at the hour when the drones leave 

 it, or immediately afterwards. One intercourse is 

 sufficient, according to Huber's experiments, to 

 render the female bee productive for at least two 

 seasons ; and if the intercourse takes place at the 

 end of the year, the consequent laying of egp 

 may be deferred till the ensuing spring. The 

 cold weather has a powerful influence in this 

 respect 



M. Huber discovered that the queen begins to 

 lay eggs forty-six hours after returning from the 

 flight during which fecundation takes place. For 

 the space of eleven months, under ordinary cir- 

 cumstances, a queen, at her first laying, produces 



