7292 Insects. 



and in the neighbourhood of Weybridge. As T only devoted about half an hour to 

 searching I am inclined to think that the Dinarda is not uncommon in the nest of F. 

 sanguinea. I have not been successful in ray search after novelties in the nest of F. 

 cunicularia, but as the ant is generally distributed, and not at all uncommon about 

 London, I still hope to find some novelty in the nest of that species. For the 

 instruction of those who have not studied the Forraicidce, and are not well acquainted 

 with the species and their habits, I may add that F. sanguinea closely resembles the 

 wood ant {F. rufa), but it mines its galleries in banks, and particularly at this period 

 of the season swarms with slaves, the latter being individuals of the species F. fusca. 

 — F. Smith ; 27, Richmond Crescent, Islington, N. — ' Intelligencer.^ 



The Hexagonal Form of Bees' Cells. — The following fact may perhaps be ac- 

 cepted as a help to the elucidation of one of the greatest marvels presented to us in 

 the Animal Kingdom. The wonderful instinct of bees in the formation of their honey- 

 comb has long excited the admiration and astonishment of man. The regular hexa- 

 gonal construction of their cells has been almost viewed as a reproof to the geometric 

 capacities of our own species ; and philosophers have devoted their lives to the exposition 

 of its mysteries, "nor," in the words of Spence and Kirby, "have its mysteries ever 

 been fathomed," and again, " the construction of the combs of a bee-hive is a miracle 

 which overwhelms our faculties." So many theories have been advanced on this com- 

 plex subject that it seems almost preposterous to attempt any further explanation, 

 but that the original (or if I may so say) predisposing cause of this arrangement is 

 pressure or extraneous force may be received as a plausible idea; thus BufiFon and 

 others have described these cells as originally cylindrical, but changed to hexagonal by 

 the pressure of the bees at work upon them, a theory refuted by the authors above 

 noticed. Now, allowing this view of comp'ression to be partly true, and without sub- 

 scribing wholly to the notion that it is the direct result of the insects at work, there is 

 another explanation I venture to put forth for this phenomenon. May it not result 

 from the natural adaptability of the material, under the force of gravitation, to form 

 hexagons, or to speak more plainly, in obedience to a law, the walls of each cell adapt 

 themselves to the conditions superimposed, apart from any predetermination or 

 instinctive impulse on the part of their builders ? This seems to me at least fairly 

 entitled to consideration, and chiefly from the following apparently trivial cir- 

 cumstance: having lately opened a box containing two or three hundred pills, 

 which had been sent from a chemist's some time previous, in a hard condition, I was 

 surprised, after removing the upper layers, to find, on approaching the bottom of the 

 box, for the most part regular hexagons, roughly, yet strikingly resembling the cells 

 of a honeycomb, and in some cases, where the pressure was unequal, pentagons 

 appeared to have been formed ; here, thought I, is possibly an analogy, to the forma- 

 tion of the cells, i. e. bee-hive, and though duly conscious of the comparative worth- 

 lessness of so slight a fact on which to build a theory, I have considered it worth com- 

 municating for the mature consideration of your numerous scientific readers. — /. 

 Hawkes ; Kent County Ophthalmic Hospital, Maidstone, October 30, 1860. 



