THE BEE. 97 



ing the inside smooth from the corners and angles ; 

 and the fourth company bring food for the rest, 

 or relieve those who return with their respective 

 burdens. But they are not kept constant to one 

 employment, they often change the tasks as- 

 signed them ; those that have been at work being 

 permitted to go abroad, and those that have been 

 in the fields already, take their places. They seem 

 even to have signs by which they understand each 

 other ; for when any of them wants food, it bends 

 down its trunk to the bee from whom it is ex- 

 pected, which then opens its honey-bag, and lets 

 some drops fall into the other's mouth, which is 

 at that time opened to receive it. Their diligence 

 and labour is so great, that in a day's time they 

 are able to make cells, which lie upon each other, 

 numerous enough to contain three thousand bees. 

 If we examine their cells, they will be found 

 formed in the exactest proportion. It was said 

 by Pappus, an ancient geometrician, that, of all 

 other figures, hexagons were the most conve- 

 nient ; for, when placed touching each other, the 

 most convenient room would be given, and the 

 smallest lost. The cells of the bees are perfect 

 hexagons ; these in every honeycomb are double, 

 opening on either side, and closed at the bottom. 

 The bottoms are composed of little triangular 

 panes, which when united together terminate in 

 a point, and lie exactly upon the extremities of 

 other panes of the same shape, in opposite cells. 

 These lodgings have spaces like streets between 

 them, large enough to give the bees a free pas- 

 sage in and out, and yet narrow enough to pre- 



VOL. VI. G 



