THE BEE NATION. 277 



imagine that the whole somewhat yielding cells are subjected 

 to a gentle mechanical pressure from above and from below, 

 and we shall then necessarily obtain the shape within and 

 without offered now by the appearance of a double-sided 

 honeycomb ; that is, the cells will each have bent into hexagons, 

 and at their closed ends into small three-sided pyramids with 

 the much-admired dove-tailing of their three rhomboid sides. 

 The already mentioned gnawing away of the several cells in 

 order to save the wax does the rest. It must not be forgotten 

 also, that our honey bee, like the Melipona species named, 

 sometimes builds one-sided combs, and that a double-sided 

 comb is not thinkable in any way save just in the fashion 

 in which the honey bee builds it. 



Above all things it must not be imagined that this 

 mechanical reason for the building of the cells of the boney 

 bee is now necessarily practised. The reason is long gone 

 by, but the work has remained, and this the more because 

 the important matter of sparing space in the narrow artificial 

 hive in which the honey bee is now compelled to live, almost 

 without exception, appears of double significance. Each 

 single bee now at once builds, without knowledge of the 

 reasons which during the lapse of ages have brought about 

 the particular shape and boundaries of its cell, in a way 

 which is prescribed to it partly by its inborn and inherited 

 tendency, partly by the size and s-hape of its body, partly 

 by the conscious design of saving space and wax, partly 

 finally by the instruction given by older comrades. As a 

 rule people are little inclined to admit the last influence,, 

 owing specially to the extraordinary brevity of a bee's life, 

 which does not generally last for more than a year, although 

 Virgil makes it live during not less than seven summers.* 

 But it is forgotten that with this short-lived and most 

 industrious creature a day of life is the same as a year to 

 men, and that if such education takes place it would pro- 

 gress with extraordinary rapidity. We have also seen 



* The queens live from three to four years. It is therefore quite 

 possible that -working -bees may sometimes reach a greater age, 

 although most, according to the opinion of bee-masters, do not survive- 

 more than half a year, and many, as already said, work themselves 

 to death in the course of weeks or months. The drones as a rule do 

 not live more than a quarter. 



