OF NATURAL HISTORY. 341 



cells regularly applied to each others fides. Thefe cells are 

 uniform hexagons or fix-lided figures. In a bee-hive, every 

 part is arranged with fuch fymmetry, and fo finely finifhed, 

 that, if limited to the fame materials, the moft expert work- 

 man would find himfclf unqualified ta conftru<St a fimilar 

 habitation, or rather a fimilar city. 



Mofi: Natural Hifiorians have celebrated bees for their 

 wifdom, for the perfection and harmony of their republican 

 government, and for their perfevering indufiry and wonderful 

 oeconomy. All thefe fplendid talents, however, the late in- 

 genious Count de Bufron has endeavoured to perfuade us, 

 are only refults of pure mechanifm. But this is not the 

 proper place to enter into a difcuflion of this point. It will 

 fall more naturally to be treated of when we come to de- 

 fizribe the focieties eftabliilied among different gregarious 

 animals. We fliall therefore, at prefent, confine ourlelves 

 chiefly to the mode in which bees conflrucl their habita- 

 tions. 



In the formation of their combs, bees feem to refolve a 

 problem which would not be a fittle puzzling to fome geo- 

 meters, namely, a quantity of wax being given, to make of 

 it equal and fimilar cells of a determined capacity, but of the 

 largeft fize in proportion to the quantity of matter employed, 

 and difpofed of in fiich a manner as to occupy in the hive 

 the leafl poffible fpace. Every part of this problem is com- 

 pletely executed by the bees. By applying hexagonal cells 

 to each other's fides, no void fpaces are left between them ; 

 and, though the fame end might be accomplifiied by other 

 figures, yet they would necefTarily require a greater quantity 

 of wax. Befides, hexagonal cells are better fitted to receive 

 the cylindrical bodies of thefe infecSts. A comb confifts of 

 two fi:rata of cells applied to each other's ends. This arrange- 

 ment both fiives room in the hive, and gives a double entry 

 into the cells of which the comb is compofed. As a farther 



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