204 THE LORE OF THE HONEY-BEE 



quantities of hard- won stores in the manufacture of 

 their own material. But it seems there is nothing 

 in nature possessing the needful properties. Bees 

 collect a resinous substance, notably from the buds 

 of the poplar, which they use for stopping up 

 crevices. They dilute this also into a varnish, 

 with which they paint the finished combs, and 

 sometimes even combine it with wax to form a 

 rough filling ; but it appears to be useless in cell- 

 construction. The whole city must needs be made 

 of wax, and wax alone ; and the bees are as careful 

 of this precious substance as a miser of his gold. 



Starting with these conditions — efficient house- 

 accommodation for the colony secured at the least 

 cost in time, labour, and material — the bee tackles 

 the problem before her with an ingenuity that is 

 little short of astounding. She appears to begin 

 with the central dominant unit of the difficulty, 

 and to work outward, vanquishing subsidiary 

 problems as she goes. Her line of reasoning 

 seems to run somewhat in this way. To raise the 

 young, and store the honey, there is needed some 

 kind of cell or receptacle. The young larvee 

 being cylindrical in form, a cylindrical cell is indi- 

 cated ; and this shape will serve also for the 

 honey-barrels. Not a few, however, but many 

 thousands of these vessels will be required : they 

 must therefore be placed close together, as well 

 for economy of space as for natural warmth. The 

 cells could be grouped together mouth upwards in 



