98 THJE BUILDING OF BEES. 



a linear inch, or twenty-flve to the square inch, but this is 

 incorrect. If five worker-cells measured exactly an inch, 

 the number contained in a square inch would be about 

 twenty-nine. As they are usually somewhat larger, the av- 

 erage number in a square inch is a trifle over twenty-seven. 

 Drone-cells number about eighteen, in the same area. 



L'Abbe Collin measured the average dimensions of the 

 cells very carefully, and the measurements given in his 

 work (Paris, 1865) are about the same as those given above. 



Fig. 40. 



218. The queen-cells have already been described. 

 (104.) 



As bees, in building their cells, cannot pass immediately 

 from one size to another, they display an admirable sagac- 

 ity in making the transition by a set of irregular inter- 

 mediate cells. Fig. 40 exhibits an accurate and beautiful 

 representation of comb, drawn for this work from nature, 



