The Life of the Bee 
follows that the reciprocal compression 
compels them all to become hexagonal. 
Similarly each bee seeks to occupy the 
utmost possible space within a given 
space, with the necessary result that, its 
body being cylindrical, the cells become 
hexagonal for the same reason as before, 
viz., the working of reciprocal obstacles.” 
[58] 
These reciprocal obstacles, it would 
seem, are capable of marvellous achieve- 
ment; on the same principle, doubtless, 
that the vices of man produce a general 
virtue, whereby the human race, hateful 
often in its individuals, ceases to be so in 
the mass. We might reply, first of all, 
with Brougham, Kirby and Spence, and 
others, that experiments with peas and 
soap-bubbles prove nothing ; for the rea- 
son that in both cases the pressure pro- 
duces only irregular forms, and in no 
198 
