THE HIVE BEE. 261 



hornet are single, and are arranged horizontally, so that their 

 cells are vertical, with the mouths downwards and the bases 

 upwards, the united bases forming a floor on which the nurse 

 wasps can walk while feeding the young inclosed in the row of 

 cells immediately above them. 



Such, however, is not the case with the Hive Bee. As every 

 one knows, who has seen a bee-comb, the cells are laid nearly 

 horizontally, and in a double series, just as if a couple of 

 thimbles were laid on the table with the points touching each 

 other and their mouths pointing in opposite directions. In- 

 crease the number of thimbles, and there will be a tolerable 

 imitation of a bee-comb. 



There is another point which must now be examined. If the 

 bases of the cells were to be rounded like those of the thimbles, 

 it is clear that they would have but little adhesion to each 

 other, and that a large amount of space would be wasted. The 

 simplest plan of obviating these defects is evidently to square 

 off the rounded bases, and to fill up the ends of each cell with 

 a hexagonal flat plat, which is actually done by the wasp. If, 

 however, we look at a piece of bee-comb, we shall find that no 

 such arrangement is employed, but that the bottom of each 

 cell is formed into a kind of three-sided cup. Now, if we 

 break away the walls of the cells, so as only to leave the bases, 

 we shall see that each cup consists of three lozenge-shaped 

 plates of wax, all the lozenges being exactly alike. 



These lozenge-shaped plates contain the key to the bee-cell, 

 and their properties will therefore be explained at length. Before 

 doing so, I must acknowledge ray thanks to the Rev. Walter 

 Mitchell, Vicar and Hospitaller of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, 

 who has long exercised his well-known methematical powers on 

 tliis subject, and has kindly supplied me with the outline of the 

 present history. 



If a single cell be isolated, it will be seen that the sides rise 

 from the outer edges of the three lozenges above-mentioned, so 

 that there are, of course, six sides, the transverse section of 

 which gives a perfect hexagon. Many years ago Maraldi, being 

 struck with the fart that the lozenge-shaped plates always had 



