39© THE HIVE BEE. 



executed by the bees. By applying hexagonal 

 cells to each others' sides, no void spaces are left 

 between them ; and, though the same end might 

 be accomplished by other figures, yet such would 

 necessarily require a greater quantity of wax. Be- 

 sides, hexagonal cells are better fitted to receive the 

 cylindrical bodies of these insects. — A comb con- 

 sists of two strata of cells applied to each other's 

 ends, This arrangement both saves room in the 

 hive, and gives a double entry into the cells of which 

 the comb is composed. As a further saving of 

 wax, and for preventing void spaces, the bases of 

 the cells in one stratum of a comb serve also for 

 bases to the opposite stratum. In short, the more 

 minutely the construction is examined, the more 

 will the admiration of the observer be excited. 

 The walls of the cells are so extremely thin that 

 their mouths might be thought in danger of suffer- 

 ing by the frequent entering and issuing of the bees. 

 To prevent this disaster, however, they make a 

 kind of rim round the margin of each cell, and this 

 rim is three or four times thicker than the walls. 



It is difficult to perceive, even with the assistance 

 of glass hives, the manner in which bees operate 

 when constructing their cells. They are so eager 

 to afford mutual assistance ; and for this purpose 

 so many of them crowd together, and are perpetu- 

 ally succeeding eaeh other, that their individual 

 operations can seldom be distinctly observed. It has, 

 however, been plainly discovered that their two 

 jaws are the only instruments they employ in mo- 

 delling and polishing the wax. With a little pati- 



