Comb Building. 105 



of tliG floor of tlio cell. From the six free or non-adjacent 

 edges of the three rhombs extend the lateral walls or faces of 

 the cell. The apex of this basal pyramid is a point whore 

 the contiguous faces of three cells on the opposite side meet, 

 and form the angles of the bases of three cells on the opposite 

 side of the comb. Thus the base of each cell forms one-third 

 of the base of each of three opposite cells. One side thus 

 braces the other and adds much to the strength of the comb. 

 Each cell, then, is in the form of a hexagonal prism, terminating 

 in a flattened triangular pyramid. 



The bees usually build several combs at once, and carry 

 forward several cells on each side of each comb, constantly 

 adding to the number, by additions to the edge. Huber first 

 observed the process of comb-building, noticing the bees 

 abstract the wax-scales, carry them to the mouth, add the 

 frothy saliva, and then knead and draw out the yellow ribbons 

 which were fastened to the top of the hive, or added to the 

 comb already commenced. 



The diameter of the worker-cells (Fig. 31, e) averages little 

 more than one-fifth of an inch — Reaumur says two and three- 

 fifths lines, or twelfths of an inch, while the drone-cells (Fig. 

 31, a) are a little more than one-fourth of an inch, or, accord- 

 ing to Reaumur, three and one-third lines. But this distin • 

 guished author was quite wrong when he said: "These are 

 the invariable dimensions of all cells that ever were or ever 

 will be made." The depth of the worker-cells is a little less 

 than half an inch ; the drone-cells are slightly extended so as 

 to be a .little more than half an inch deep. These cells are 

 often drawn out so as to be an inch long, when used solely as 

 honey receptacles. The capping of the brood-cells is dark, 

 porous, and convex, while that of the honey-cells is white and 

 concave. This capping of honey-cells is made thicker by 

 black bees than by the other races, and so their- comb honey 

 is more beautiful. 



The character of the cells, as to size, that is, whether they 

 are drone or worker, seems to be determined by the relative 

 abundance of bees and honey. If the bees are abundant 

 and honey needed, or if there is no queen to lay eggs, drone- 

 comb (Fig. 31, a) is invariably built, while if there are few 

 bees, and of course little honey needed, then worker-comb 

 (Fig. 31, c) is almost as invariably formed. 



