THE CELLS 383 



of the corresponding layer; on the other side the 

 evils of the second layer open. Finally, the honey- 

 comb is suspended vertically in the hive, with half its 

 openings to the right and half to the left. It ad- 

 heres by its upper edge to the roof of the hive, or to 

 the bars that cross it inside. 



"One comb is not enough when the population is 

 numerous ; others are constructed like the first. The 

 various combs, ranged parallel to one another, leave 

 free intervening spaces. These are the streets, the 

 public squares, the thoroughfares, on which the 

 openings of the two layers of cells belonging to neigh- 

 boring combs give, as the doors of our houses open 

 on the right and left of a street. There the bees 

 circulate, going from one door to another to deposit 

 their honey in the cells used as store-houses, or to 

 distribute nourishment to the young larvae lodged 

 one by one in other cells. In these same public 

 places they assemble when necessary, hold consulta- 

 tions, and deliberate on the affairs of the community. 

 There, for example, among the nurses going from 

 door to door to see whether the Iarva3 need feeding, 

 and the wax-bees rubbing themselves vehemently to 

 extract the wax and begin to build, is plotted the ex- 

 termination of the drones; there, when the birth of 

 a new queen menaces the hive with civil war, the 

 project of emigration ripens. There But let us 

 not anticipate. Let us return to the cells. " 



"I am lon.irinir to know the whole of the strange 



TV of the bees," Jules broke in. 



"Pati<'iir,-: First of all lot us see how the cells 

 are constructed. The bee that feels that it is sup- 



