l6S PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS, [aNNO 179'i. 



said to form perpendicular plates, or partitions, which extend from top to bottom 

 of the cavity in which they build them, and from side to side. They always 

 begin at the top, or roof of the vault, in which they build, and work down- 

 wards; but if the upper part of this vault, to which their combs are fixed, is 

 removed, and a dome is put over, they begin at the upper edge of the old comb, 

 and work up into the new cavity at the top. They generally may be guided as 

 to the direction of their new plates of comb, by forming ridges at top, to which 

 they begin to attach their comb. In a long hive, if these ridges are longitu- 

 dinal, their plates of comb will be longitudinal; if placed transverse, so will be 

 the plates; and if oblique, the plates of comb will be oblique. Each plate 

 consists of a double set of cells, whose bottoms form the partition between each 

 set. The plates themselves are not very regularly arranged, not forming a 

 regular plane where they might have done so; but are often adapted to the 

 situation, or shape of the cavity in which they are built. The bees do not en- 

 deavour to shape their cavity to their work, as the wasps do, nor are the cells of 

 equal depths, also fitting them to their situation; but as the breeding cells must 

 all be of a given depth, they reserve a sufficient number for breeding in, and 

 they put the honey into the others, as also into the shallow ones. The attach- 

 ment of the comb round the cavity is not continued, but interrupted, so as to 

 form passages; there are also passages in the middle of the plates, especially if 

 there be a cross stick to support the comb; these allow of bees to go across from 

 plate to plate. The substance which they use for attaching their combs to sur- 

 rounding parts is not the same as the common wax; it is softer and tougher, a 

 good deal like the substance with which they cover in their chrysalis, or the 

 humble bee surrounds her eggs. It is probably a mixture of wax with farina. 

 The cells are placed nearly horizontally, but not exactly so; the mouth raised a 

 little, which probably may be to retain the honey the better; however this rule 

 is not strictly observed, for. often they are horizontal, and towards the lower edge 

 of a plane of comb they are often declining. The first combs that a hive forms 

 are the smallest, and much neater than the last or lowermost. Their sides, or 

 partitions between cell and cell, are much thinner, and the hexagon is much 

 more perfect. The wax is purer, being probably little else but wax, and it is 

 more brittle. The lower combs are considerably larger, and contain much more 

 wax, or perhaps more properly more materials; and the cells are at such dis- 

 tances as to allow them to be of a round figure: the wax is softer, and there is 

 something mixed with it. I have observed that the cells are not all of equal 

 size, some being a degree larger than the others; and that the small are the 

 first formed, and of course at the upper part, where the bees begin, and the 

 larger are nearer the lower part of the comb, or last made: however, in hives of 

 particular construction, where the bees may begin to work at one end, and can 



