THE BEE. 



was, with a given quantity of wax, to construct a combination of 

 similar and equal cells of the greatest aggregate capacity, and such 

 as to occupy the available space in the hive to the greatest possible 

 advantage. The form and magnitude of the cells must neces- 

 sarily have been adapted to those of the bee itself, because these 

 cells are intended to be the nests in which the eggs are laid and 

 hatched, and the young bee raised to its state of maturity. 



The body of the bee being oblong, and measuring about 

 six-tenths of an inch in length by two-tenths in diameter, cylin- 

 drical tubes of corresponding dimensions would have answered 

 the purpose ; but such tubes could not be united together in 

 juxtaposition without either a great waste of wax or great defi- 

 ciency of strength, since, when placed in contiguity, they would 

 leave between them empty spaces of considerable magnitude, 

 which, if left unoccupied, would render the structure weak, and if 

 filled with wax, would have the double disadvantage of giving 

 needless and injurious weight to the comb, and involving the 

 waste of a quantity of a scarce and precious material, greater than 

 all that would be* necessary to form the really useful part of the 

 comb. 



61. From what has been explained it will be understood that, to 

 form a combination of tubular cells without interstices, the 

 choice of the bee was necessarily limited to the three figures 

 already mentioned the equilateral triangle, the square, and the 

 regular hexagon. The equilateral triangle would be attended 

 with the disadvantage of a great waste of both space and material; 

 for if its dimensions were sufficient to afford easy room to the 

 body of the bee, a large space would be wasted at each of the 

 angles, towards which the body of the bee could never approach. 



A like disadvantage, though less in degree, would have attended 

 square tubes. The bee, therefore, with the instinct of an engineer, 

 decided on the third form, of the regular hexagon, which at once 

 fulfilled the conditions of a sufficiently near adaptation to the 

 form of its own body, and the advantage of such a combination 

 as would leave neither waste space nor loss of material. 



62. In the structure of the comb there is still another point 

 worthy of attention. It might naturally ha.ve been expected 

 that it would be composed of a single layer of cells, one side pre- 

 senting the mouth, and the other the pyramidal base ; but if this 

 had been the course adopted, the side consisting of the pyramidal 

 bases would be an extensive surface, upon which the industry of 

 the bee would have no occupation, and the space in the hive to 

 which such surface would be presented would, therefore, be so 

 much space wasted. Instead, therefore, of constructing the 

 comb of a single layer of cells, the bees judiciously make it of a 



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