WAX. 6; 



mathematician, assuming the equality of the angles 

 of the trapezia forming the sides of the hexagon 

 adjacent to the rhombs and those of the rhombs 

 themselves, and that the solid angle at the apex of 

 the pyramid, composed of equal obtuse angles, is pre- 

 cisely equal to each of the three angles at the base, 

 also composed of three equal obtuse angles, came to 

 the conclusion that the angles must be 109 28' and 



70 32'. 



These three sets of results, so remarkably accord- 

 ant, when we consider the minuteness of the differ- 

 ences between them, in figures so small as the actual 

 honey-comb cells, show the closest correspondence to 

 the actual measurements of the work of the bees. 

 Maraldi found the angles of the latter to be 1 10 and 

 70, as nearly as could be ascertained. We have 

 dwelt at some length upon this point, because it illu- 

 strates, in a most marvellous manner, the power of 

 that inborn faculty we call instinct, which arrives, 

 without training, at results so precisely agreeing 

 with those of the highest efforts of our intellectual 

 reasonings. To the devout mind, the conclusion is 

 inevitable that Divine Wisdom is the inspiring force 

 which energizes the mental operations of the bees in 

 their cell-building. 



A further advantage of the actual shape of the 

 honey-comb prisms is that, thereby, strength is com- 

 bined with economy. No other form would so effici- 

 ently have carried the heavy weights constantly 

 stored in the forms of honey, brood, and bee-bread. 



The bottoms and sides of the cells are made of wax 

 as thin as a sheet of writing-paper ; but as walls of 

 this thinness at the entrances would break down 



F 



