THE BEE. 87 



comb is composed of a double series of horizontal 

 cells placed end to end, and divided by a thin parti- 

 tion of wax (PL VIII. fig. 5). But these cells are 

 not aU of the same dimensions ; for the Drones, being 

 larger than the "Workers, require a larger . cradle in 

 their infancy or larvahood, and the Bees therefore 

 construct a sufficient number of cells suitable for their 

 reception about the centre of the comb. 



The transition from the smaller worker- to the 

 larger drone-cells is not, however, sudden, and we 

 find a series of what are termed intermediate cells, of 

 a gradually increasing diameter, so that our little 

 architects appear in aU things to proceed in an orderly 

 and systematic manner. 



A strange deviation from the ordinary hexagonal 

 ceU. (and another piece of evidence in favour of the 

 cylindrical theory) is presented by those destined for 

 the reception of the royal family, commonly known as 

 queen- or royal-cells. 



These differ from the rest in size, form, and posi- 

 tion, occupying as much space at least as half-a-dozen 

 worker-cells. They are of an irregular oval or pear- 

 shape, made up of a kind of mosaic work of coarse wax, 

 and, instead of being horizontally disposed, they are 

 suspended almost perpendicularly, with the aperture 

 downwards, against the side, or more commonly at 

 the lower part of the comb (PI. VIII. figs. 5 & 6, g c). 

 These three kinds of cells, the worker-, drone-, and 

 queen-ceUs, are employed by the Bees for the pur- 

 poses of incubation and rearing of the young, to 



