HABITATIONS OF INSECTS. 315 



the cells. When they wish to lengthen an old comb, the tubes of which 

 have acquired their full dimensions, they gradually diminish the thickness 

 of its edges, gnawing down the sides of the cells till it assumes the lenti- 

 cular form : Ihey then engraft a mass of wax round it, and so proceed 

 with new cells. 



Variations, as has been already hinted, sometimes take place in the 

 position and even form of the combs. Occasionally the bees constwct 

 cells of the common shape upon the wood to which the combs are fixed, 

 without pyramidal bottoms, and from them continue their work as usual. 

 These cells with a flat bottom, or rather with the wood for their bottom, 

 are more irregular than the common ones ; some of their orifices are not 

 angular; and their dimensions are not exact, but all are more or less 

 hexagonal. Once when disturbed, Huber observed them to begin their 

 combs on one of the vertical sides of the hive instead of on the roof. 

 When particular circumstances caused it, as, for instance, when glass was 

 introduced, to which they do not like to fix their combs, he remarked that 

 they constantly varied their direction ; and by repeating the attempt, he 

 forced them to form their combs in the most fantastic manner. Yet glass 

 is an artificial substance, against which instinct merely cannot have 

 provided them : there is nothing in hollow trees, their natural habitation, 

 resemblin'T it. When thev^ change the direction of their combs, they 

 enlarge the cells of one side to two or three times the diameter of those 

 of the other, which gives the requisite curve. 



To complete the detail of these interesting discoveries of the elder 

 Huber, I must lay before you the following additional observations of 

 his son. 



The first base of the combs upon which the bees work holds three or 

 four cells, sometimes more. The comb continues of the same width for 

 three or four inches, and then begins to widen for three quarters of its 

 length. The bees ent^aojed at the bottom lengthen it downwards ; those 

 on the sides widen it to right and left ; and those which are employed 

 above the thickest part extend its dimensions upwards. The more a 

 comb is enlarged below, the more it is necessary that it should be enlarged 

 upwards to the top of the hive. The bees that are engaged in lengthen- 

 ing the comb work with more celerity than those which increase its width ; 

 and those that ascend or increase its width upwards, more slowly than the 

 rest. Hence it arises that it is longer than wide, and narrower towards 

 the top than towards the middle. The first formed cells are usually not 

 so deep as those in the middle ; but when the comb is of a certain height, 

 they are in haste to lengthen these cells so essential to the solidity of the 

 whole, sometimes even making them longer than the rest. The cells are 

 not perfectly horizontal ; they are almost always a little higher towards 

 their mouth than at their base, so that their axis is not perpendicular to 

 he partition that separates the two assemblages. They sometimes vary 

 from the horizontal line more than 20°, usually 4° or 5°. When the bees 

 enlarge the diameter of the cells preparatory to the formation of male 

 cells, the bottoms often consist of two rhomboids and two hexagons, the 

 size and form of which vary, and they correspond with four instead of 

 three opposite cells. The works of bees are symmetrical less perhaps in 

 minute details than' considered as a whole. Sometimes, indeed, their 



