32 SOCIAL HABITATIONS. 
which the nurse wasps can walk while feeding the young 
enclosed in the row of cells immediately above them. 
Such, however, is not the case with the Hive Bee. As 
every one knows who has seen a Bee-comb, the cells are laid 
nearly horizontally, and in a double series, just as if a couple 
of thimbles were laid on the table with the points touching 
each other and their mouths pointing in opposite directions. 
Increase the number of thimbles, and there will be a toler- 
able imitation of a Bee-comb. 
There is another point which must now be examined. 
If the bases of the cells were to be rounded like those of the 
thimbles, it is clear that they would have but little adhesion 
to each other, and that a large amount of space would be 
wasted. The simplest plan of obviating these defects is 
evidently to square off the rounded bases, and to fill up 
the ends of each cell with a hexagonal flat plate, which is 
actually done by the wasp. If, however, we look at a piece 
of Bee-comb, we shall find that no such arrangement is em- 
ployed, but that the bottom of each cell is formed into a 
kind of three-sided cup. Now, if we break away the walls 
of the cell, so as only to leave the bases, we shall see that 
each cup consists of three lozenge-shaped plates of wax, 
all the lozenges being exactly alike. 
These lozenge-shaped plates contain the key to the Bee- 
cell, and their properties will therefore be explained at 
length. Before doing so, I must acknowledge my thanks 
to the Rev. Walter Mitchell, Vicar and Hospitaller of St. 
Bartholomew's Hospital, who has long exercised his well- 
known mathematical powers on this subject, and has kindly 
supplied me with the outline of the present history. 
If a single cell be isolated, it will be seen that the sides 
rise from the outer edges of the three lozenges above-men- 
tioned, so that there are, of course, six sides, the transverse 
section of which gives a perfect hexagon. Many years ago 
