THE BEE, 81 



the Bee; for almost miraculous powers have been 

 attributed to the insect to enable it to construct these 

 cells. It has been proved by able mathematicians 

 that the form which they are made to assume re- 

 quires the least amount of material consistent with 

 strength ; and that if any other figure had been sub- 

 stituted for the hexagon, or any other angles than 

 those now presented by the sides of the cells, it would 

 not have been possible to group so great a number of 

 the latter in the same space j for we are told that 

 although circular cells might have better suited the 

 shape of the Bee's body, yet the waste of space and 

 material would, in that case, have been considerable. 



On the other hand, however, it has been stated 

 that the design of these cells is not at first hexagonal, 

 but, according to some observers, it is pentagonal, 

 whilst others declare it to be circular in the first in- 

 stance ; all agree, however, that as the cells progress, 

 they assume the most appropriate and economical 

 form, namely the hexagon. 



Numerous have been the surmises as to the guiding 

 principle that causes the Bees to construct their cells 

 after this model, and, although it is stiU a contro- 

 verted question, we shall attempt briefly to review 

 the various theories that have been propoim.ded on 

 the subject. 



Some naturalists beheve that the Bee possesses an 

 innate instinct which teaches it that this is the most 

 economical and desirable shape for its cells, and, to 

 show how far this instinct transcends the calculating 



E 5 



