CONSTRUCTION OF COMBS. 



hexagonal prismatic tubes, are the next objects of the industry 

 and skill of the nurses. These are cemented on the borders of the 

 pyramidal cavities shown in figs. 26 and 27. 



81. The surfaces represented in figs. 33 and 34 having a contour 

 very unequal, the edges of the pyramidal cavities being inclined to 

 each other, so as to form angles alternately salient and re-entrant, 

 the first work of the bees is to form those parts of the prismatic sides 

 of the cells which are necessary to fill up the re-entrant angles of 

 the contours of the pyramidal bases. When this has been accom- 

 plished, the contours of all the hexagonal divisions extended over 

 the surface of the partition, represented in figs. 33 and 34, are 

 brought to a common level, and from that point the labour of the 

 little artificers becomes more simple, consisting of the construction 

 of the oblong rectangles which form the remainder of the six sides 

 of each cell. 



82. It must nevertheless be remarked, that the first row of 

 cells, being necessarily attached to the roof of the hive, and not 

 at its upper edge connected like the other rows with other similar 

 cells, has an exceptional form, these being not hexagonal, but 

 pentagonal ; two of the sides of the ordinary cells being replaced 

 by the roof of the hive, as shown in figs. 33 and 34. A corre- 

 sponding exceptional form is of course also given to the bases of 

 the first row of cells. 



The combs constructed in this manner are ranged in vertical 

 planes parallel one to the other in the hive, as shown in per- 

 spective in fig. 35, in vertical section in fig. 36, and in horizontal 



Fig. 35. Fig. 36. 



section in fig. 37. They are not always ranged strictly in single 

 parallel lines ; but are sometimes bent at an angle, as shown in 

 fig. 37. 



An end view of a comb, showing the mouths of the cells fore- 

 shadowed by perspective, is represented in fig. 38. 



83. The flat sides of a comb are not strictly parallel, but 



39 



