CHAPTER LXXVIII 



THE CELLS 



"TN order to store the supply of honey and lodge 

 JL the larvae, the "bees build with their wax little 

 rooms called cells, open at one end and closed at the 

 other. They are six-sided and arranged with per- 

 fect regularity. In geometrical terms, each would 

 be called a hexagonal prism, or a prism with six 

 facets. 



' ' Do not be surprised at this introduction of terms 

 belonging to the beautiful and severe science of form 

 of geometry, in short. Bees are geometricians of 

 consummate skill. Their constructions have re- 

 quired the exercise of the highest intelligence. All 

 the power of human reason was necessary to follow, 

 step by step, the insect 's science. I will return pres- 

 ently to this fine subject, a very difficult one, but I 

 will try to make it intelligible to you. 



"The cells are placed horizontally, back to back 

 and end to end, in pairs, with the closed ends joining. 

 Furthermore, they are arranged side by side in 

 greater or less number, and they touch each other by 

 their flat faces, each one of which serves as partition 

 wall for two contiguous cells. The two layers of 

 cells, back to back at their closed ends, constitute 

 what is called a comb or honey-comb. On one side 

 of this comb are found all the entrances to the cells 



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