THE COMB-BUILDERS 205 



horizontal planes, storey above storey ; but such a 

 method of construction would be economically 

 unsound. To prevent sagging in the heat of the 

 hive, and under the weight they will be called 

 to bear, the cell-bases would have to be thickened 

 collectively into a substantial floor, which would 

 need shoring-up at intervals — after the manner of 

 the wasps. But in this, much valuable material 

 would be diverted from its proper use. Obviously, 

 a better plan would be to lay all the cells on their 

 sides, and pile them up into a vertical wall. And, 

 just as obviously, if two walls of these super- 

 imposed cells were placed back to back, so that 

 one central vertical sheet of wax would serve to 

 stop the ends of all the cells, right and left, a 

 saving of half the material used for the cell-bottoms 

 would at once be effected. 



But, so far, the design is still only in its crude, 

 initial stage. The upright comb, consisting of a 

 double pile of round cells, back to back, with one 

 flat base between, although a great advance on the 

 single sheet of horizontal cells, is yet mechanically 

 and economically deficient. The round cells leave 

 useless interstices, which take much wax in the 

 filling; while the flat bottoms do not coincide with 

 the form of the larvae, and thus still more space is 

 wasted. Clearly, improvement can only come by 

 altering the shape of the cell ; and now the bee 

 seems to have asked herself — and triumphantly 

 answered — an extremely complex question. 



