BEE. 



557 



Insects of establishing themselves in the dried and 

 capacious skeletons of animals where, speaking of 

 the hugeness of the skull of the elephant, he says, 



Bees, in the ample hollow of his skull, 

 Piled their wax citadel, and stored their honey; 

 Hence sallied forth to forage through the fields, 

 And swarmed in emigrating myriads hence. 



The nest, as constructed by the insects, consists of 

 a continued series of combs arranged vertically, each 

 of which consists of a vast number of cells, forming 

 two ranges, backed against each other, and conse- 

 quently placed in a horizontal position. A sufficient 

 space is left between each of these double layers of 

 cells to allow a couple of bees, busied upon the oppo- 

 site cells, to work without incommoding each other. 

 In addition to these spaces, the combs are perforated 

 in various places, so as to allow a passage for the 

 bees from one street to another, thus saving them 

 much time ; but it is in the construction of the cells 

 themselves that the most admirable instinct is dis- 

 played. These are formed of wax, a material not 

 secreted in very great quantities by the bees ; whence 

 it is essential that not only the least possible space 

 should be occupied in the nest, but also that the least 

 possible wax should be employed. Geometricians are 

 aware that, in order to occupy a given space with 

 solid objects of equal size and similar form without 

 any useless interstices, three figures only can be 

 adopted, namely, the equilateral triangle, the square 

 or cube, and the regular hexagon. Of these three 

 geometrical figures the hexagon most completely 

 unites, as Dr. Reed observes, the prime requisites for 

 insect architecture. The bees appear, savs Reaumur, 

 to have had a problem to solve which would puzzle 

 many a mathematician. " A quantity of matter being 

 given, it is required to form out of it cells, which 

 shall be equal and similar, and of a determinate size, 

 but the largest possible with relation to the quantity 

 of matter employed, whilst they shall occupy the least 

 possible space." 



The bottom of each cell is formed of three lozenge- 

 shaped pieces, whence it is obvious that their junction 

 might have been formed at any imaginable angle. 

 Like the slated roofs of houses, it might have been of 

 any inclination. Reaumur, however, suspected that 

 as the bottom of the cells had an uniform inclination, 

 this particular direction was the one which also caused 

 the least expenditure of wax. He therefore asked 

 M. Kcenig, a skilful geometrician, to determine by 

 calculations the following question. Among all the 

 hexagonal tubes with pyramidal bases, composed of 

 three similar and equal rhombs, to determine that 

 which can be constructed with the least possible 

 quantity of matter. Kcenig, ignorant of the object 

 which Reaumur had in view, worked out the problem 

 and found, that if three rhombs or lozenges were so 

 inclined to each other, that the great angles measured 

 109 26' and the little angles 70 34', this construc- 

 tion would require the least quantity of matter. Now 

 M. Miraldi had actually previously ascertained by a 

 very accurate admeasurement, that the great angles 

 of the cells were in general 109 28', of the smaller 

 ones 70 32'. Admirable geometricians, which with- 

 out compasses or figures, not only adopt the most 

 advantageous form for your cells, but build them with 

 that minute precision which insures the employment 

 of the least quantity of materials, and form them of 

 those precise dimensions which will suit the size of 

 the future inhabitant! But there is still another 



instance of geometrical instinct exhibited in these 

 cells ; a common base serves for two strata of cells, 

 which base is so disposed as to form a pyramidal 

 cavity at the bottom of each, being composed, as 

 above stated, of three distinct lozenge-shaped pieces : 

 hence it follows, that the base of a cell on one side of 

 the comb is formed of portions of the bases of three 

 distinct cells, on the other. By this means, a greater 

 degree of strength and a smaller consumption of mate- 

 rials is obtained, than if each set were first thoroughly 

 formed, and then the two cemented together, whereby 

 each of the cells would have a distinct pyramidal base, 

 or than if the two cells had been a single hexagonal 

 tube, intersected in the middle by a flat instead of a 

 pyramidal division. 



Cells showing manner of uniting- at base. 



It is a remarkable circumstance, that in a new colony 

 the design of every comb is sketched out and the first 

 rudiments laid by a single bee, which having disen- 

 gaged itself from the swarm, commences the building 

 of cells, which is then taken up by the olAer wax 

 makers, and subsequently by the nurse bee*, which 

 give the finishing stroke to the cells. And so expe- 

 ditious are the proceedings of these indefatigable 

 creatures, that a comb, twenty-seven inches long by 

 seven or eight inches wide, is built in four and twenty 

 hours, and in five or six days they will half fill the hive. 

 The combs are attached to the roof and sides of the 

 dwelling, the hives or boxes to the floors and roofs, 

 the cell-work of the combs varnished, &c. with a 

 resinous, very tenacious, and transparent substance, 

 termed propolis, which the bees collect from various 

 trees, as from pines and other trees of the fir tribe, 

 according to some authors, but from the wild poplar, 

 according to Huber. 



There are three sorts of cells, the first are for the 

 larvae of workers and for containing the honey, these 

 are of the ordinary form ; the second are for the grubs 

 of the males or drones, being considerably larger and 

 more substantial, they usually appear near the bottom 

 of the combs ; the third are the cells for the females, 

 of which there are usually three or four, although Mr. 

 Hunter observed as many as thirteen royal cells in 

 one hive. They are attached commonly to the cen- 

 tral part of the comb, having very little wax in their 

 composition, the remainder being considered by Mr. 

 Hunter to be farina. One of these cells considerably 

 exceeds in height the ordinary ones, and they are 

 not interwoven with them but suspended perpendicu- 

 larly, their sizes being nearly parallel to the mouths 

 of the common cells, several of which are sacrificed 

 to support them : they are of an oblong spheroidal 

 form tapering gradually downward. 



Hexagonal Cells with Royal Cells attached. 



After the queen bee has quitted her cell, it is 

 destroyed by the workers, and its place occupied by 

 a range of common cells. A beautiful and gradual 



