91 COJIBS, AND THE FORM OP CELLS. 



together, only indeed a little better than a set of 

 circles, but hexagons fit together perfectly. 



Economy of the Hexagonal Form. 



Thus, in choosing the hexagon, the bees select 

 the very best shape possible, that which enables 

 the cells to hold the greatest quantity of honey 

 with the least expense of material and waste of 

 space. 



Again, the bees want the combs to have great 

 strength, and yet to have the walls of the cells very 

 thin ; the stronger the better and the thinner the 

 better. But these two things seem contrary. If you 

 want anything to be strong you generally make it thick. 

 But the bees know better than you, and get over the 

 difficulty wonderfully. While they make the walls of 

 the cells as thin as the thinnest paper, yet by making 

 them, in a most ingenious way, of two layers of wax 

 joined together, they get a great deal of extra 



