352 ARCHITECTURE OF BEES. 



supposed tenant. The following sketch affords 

 a representation of the hexagonal cells of a comb, 

 and also the attachment of the royal cradles. 



I have spoken of the perfect regularity in the 

 cell-work of a honey-comb ; particular circum- 

 stances, however, induce a departure from this 

 exactness : for instance, where bees have com- 

 menced a comb with small cell-work, and after- 

 wards wish to attach to it a set of large cells, as 

 in the case of drone- cells being required to be 

 appended to workers-cells. These deviations 

 from the usual regularity renew our admiration 

 of bee-ingenuity, though Reaumur and Bonnet 

 have regarded them as examples of imperfection. 

 They effect their object by interposing three or 

 four series of, what may be called, cells oftransi- 



