344 ARCHITECTURE OF BEES. 



derived from the bees covering the whole surface of 

 the combs, but more particularly the edges of the 

 cells, with a peculiar kind of varnish, which they 

 collect for the purpose. At first the combs are 

 delicately white, semitransparent, and exceedingly 

 fragile, smooth but unpolished : in a short time 

 their surfaces become stronger, and assume more 

 or less of a yellow tint. The deepening of the co- 

 lour of honey-combs has been supposed, by some, 

 to be the effect of age ; and in part it may be : but 

 it is principally owing to the coat of varnish with 

 which the bees cover them. This varnish strongly 

 resembles propolis, appearing to differ from it 

 only in containing the colouring material which 

 imparts to wax its yellow hue. The source of 

 this colouring matter has not been discovered : it 

 is insoluble in alcohol ; but the manufacture of 

 white wax shows that it is destructible by light. 

 But to return to the construction of the cell- 

 work. 



The pyramidal basis of a cell is formed by the 

 junction of three rhomboidal or lozenge- shaped 

 portions of max ; thus, 



