106 Fossil Honey-Comb Coral. 



All comb when first formed is clear and translucent. The 

 fact that it is often dark and opaque implies that it has been 

 long used as brood-comb, and the opacity is due to the innu- 

 merable thin cocoons which line the cells. These may be separ- 

 ated by dissolving the wax; which may be done by putting it 

 in boUing alcohol. Such comb need not be discarded, for if 

 composed of worker-cells it is still very valuable for breeding 

 purposes, and should not be destroyed till the cells are too 

 small for longer service, which will not occur till after many 

 years of use. The function, then, of the wax, is to make 

 comb and caps for the honey-cells, and, combined with pollen, 

 to form queen-cells (Fig. 31, d) and caps for the brood-cells. 



A very common fossil found in many parts of the Eastern 

 and Northern United States, is, from its appearance, often 

 called petrified honey-comb. We have many such specimens 

 in our museum. In some cases the cells are hardly larger 

 than a pin-head ; in others a quarter of an inch in diameter. 



Fig. 32. 



1 



Boiiey-comb Coral. 



These (Figs. 32, 33) are not fossil honey-comb as many are led 

 to believe, though the resemblance is so striking that no 

 wonder the public generally are deceived. These specimens 

 are fossil coral, which the paleontologist places in the genus 

 Favosites; favosus being a common species in our State. 

 They are very abundant in the lime rock in northern Michi- 

 gan, and are very properly denominated honey-comb coral. 



