ARCHITECTURE OF BEES. 



in which a plane may be cut into little spaces that 

 shall be equal, similar, and regular, without leaving 

 any interstices." Of these three geometrical 

 figures, the hexagon most completely unites the 

 prime requisites for insect architecture. The 

 truth of this proposition was perceived by PAPPUS, 

 an eminent Greek philosopher and mathematician, 

 who lived at Alexandria in the reign of Theodo- 

 sius the Great, and its adoption by bees in the 

 construction of honey-comb was noticed by that 

 ancient geometrician. These requisites are ; 



First, (Economy of materials. There are no 

 useless partitions in a honey-comb, each of the 

 six lateral pannels of one cell forms also one of 

 the pannels of an adjoining cell ; and of the three 

 rhombs which form the pyramidal base of a cell, 

 each contributes one-third towards the formation 

 of the bases of three opposing cells, the bottom or 

 centre of every cell resting against the point of 

 union of three pannels that are at the back of it. 



Secondly, CEconomy of room ; no interstices 

 being left between adjoining cells. 



Thirdly, The greatest possible capacity or in- 

 ternal space, consistent with the two former de- 

 siderata. 



Fourthly, CEconomy of materials and ceconomy 

 of room produce ceconomy of labour. And in ad- 

 dition to these advantages, the cells are constructed 

 in the strongest manner possible, considering the 



