104 



Honey-Comb Cdls. 



diameter, and this in natural, not distorted cells. This varia- 

 tion of one-fifth of an* inch in ten cells is extreme, but a varia- 

 tion of one-tenth of an inch is common. The sides, as also 

 the angles, are not constant. The rhombic faces forming the 

 bases of the cells also vary. 



The bees change from worker (Fig. 31, e) to drone-ceUs 

 (Fig. 31, a), which are one-fifth larger, and vice versa, not by 

 any system (Fig 31, h), but simply by enlarging or contracting. 

 It usually takes about four rows to complete the transformation, 

 though the number of deformed cells varies from two to eight. 



Fig. 31. 



.V '*?'* 



Rhomibs, Pyramidal Bases, 

 and Gross-secMona of Cells , 

 UhisPrated. 





a— Drone-celle. 

 6— Deformed cpJls. 



Honey-Comh. 



c— Worker-cells. 

 d d— Queen-cells. 



The structure of each cell is quite complex, yet full of 

 interest. The base is a triangular pyramid (Fig. 31, e) whose 

 three faces are rhombs, and whose apex forms the very centre 



