44 LIFE OF TEGETMEIER 



cells are always hemispherical, and that in a 

 small extending comb the outer sides of the 

 bases of the external cells are always circular, 

 they appear to lead to the conclusion that the 

 typical form of a single cell is cylindrical, with 

 a hemispherical base ; but that when the cells 

 are raised up in contact with one another, they 

 necessarily become polygonal, and if regularly 

 built, hexagonal. On this supposition alone can 

 those numerous cases be accounted for in which 

 one-half of a cell is cylindrical, the other half 

 polygonal. In all such cases it will be found 

 that, in the cell adjacent to the cylindrical side, 

 there is not room (owing to some irregularity 

 of the comb) for a bee to work — consequently 

 the cylindrical development is not interfered 

 with. The formation of the small cylindrical 

 cells surrounding the queen cell appears to 

 admit of no other explanation. The mode in 

 which the circular bases, situated at the thin 

 edge of a comb in the process of enlargement, 

 become converted into polygonal cells as new 

 bases are formed on their outer sides, has been 

 beautifully shown by Mr. Darwin. In repeating, 

 with many ingenious modifications, my original 

 experiments, he coloured with vermilion and wax 

 the circular edges of the bases of the external 

 cells in a small comb. On replacing this in the 

 hive, he found that the walls of the cells were 

 not raised directly upon these circular bases, 

 but that as other cells were built external to 

 them, the coloured wax was re-masticated and 

 worked up into the polygonal sides of the cells 

 — consequently, the colour, instead of remaining 

 as a narrow line, became diffused over a consider- 

 able portion of the sides of the cells. These 

 observations have been much facilitated bv the 



