ARCHITECTURE OF BEES. 339 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 

 ON THE ARCHITECTURE OF BEES. 



" Quel abime aux yeux du sage qu'une ruche d'abeilles ? 

 Quel sagesse profonde se cache dans cet abime! Quel 

 philosophe oserale fonder !" BONNET. 



THE combs of a bee-hive comprise a congeries of 

 hexagonal cells, formed by the bees, as recepta- 

 cles for honey or for embryo bees, A honey- 

 comb is allowed to be one of the most striking 

 achievements of insect industry, and an admirable 

 specimen of insect architecture. It has attracted 

 the admiration of the contemplative philosopher 

 in all ages, and awakened speculation not only 

 in the naturalist, but also in the mathematician : 

 so regular, so perfect, is the structure of the cells, 

 that it satisfies every condition of a refined pro- 

 blem in geometry. Still a review of their proceed- 

 ings will lead to the conclusion, as HUBER has 

 observed, that " the geometrical relations, which 

 apparently embellish the productions of bees, are 

 rather the necessary result of their mode of pro- 

 ceeding, than the principle by which their labour 

 is guided." " We must therefore conclude, that 

 the bees, although they act geometrically, under- 



