INSTINCT OF INSECTS. 4-85 



the two rhombs of the bottom are not so unequal : the 

 contour of the cell has included a greater portion of the 

 opposite fourth cell. Lastly, we find cells in pretty con- 

 siderable number, of which the bottom is composed of 

 four pieces perfectly regular namely, two elongated 

 hexagons and two equal rhombs, but smaller than those 

 of the pyramidal bottoms. In proportion as we remove 

 our view from the cells with regular tetrahedral bottoms, 

 whether in descending or from right to left, we see that 

 the subsequent cells resume their ordinary form ; that is 

 to say, that one of their rhombs is gradually lessened 

 until it finally disappears entirely ; and the pyramidal 

 form re-exhibits itself, but on a larger scale than in the 

 cells at the top of the comb. This regularity is main- 

 tained in a great number of ranges, namely, those con- 

 sisting of male cells ; afterwards the cells diminish in size, 

 and we again remark the tetrahedral bottoms just de- 

 scribed, until the cells have once more resumed the pro- 

 per diameter of those of workers. 



It is, then, by encroaching in a small degree upon 

 the cells of the other face of the comb, that bees at length 

 succeed in giving greater dimensions to their cells ; and 

 the graduation of the transition cells being reciprocal on 

 the two faces of the comb, it follows that on both sides 

 each hexagonal contour corresponds with four cells. 

 When the bees have arrived at any degree of this mode 

 of operating, they can stop there and continue to employ 

 it in several consecutive ranges of cells : but it is to the 

 intermediate degree that they appear to confine them- 

 selves for the longest period, and we then find a great 

 number of cells of which the bottoms of four pieces are 

 perfectly regular. They might, then, construct the whole 



