Chap. VIIL] CELL-MAKING INSTINCT. 349 



those made by the justly celebrated elder Huber, but 

 I am convinced of their accuracy; and if I had 

 space, I could show that they are conformable with 

 my theory. 



Huber's statement, that the very first cell is excavated 

 out of a little parallel-sided wall of wax, is not, as far as I 

 have seen, strictly correct; the first commencement having 

 alwavs been a little hood of wax ; but I will not here 

 enter on details. We see how important a part excava- 

 tion plays in the construction of the cells ; but it would 

 be a great error to suppose that the bees cannot build 

 ap a rough wall of wax in the proper position — that is, 

 along the plane of intersection between two adjoining 

 spheres. I have several specimens showing clearly that 

 they can do this. Even in the rude circumferential rim 

 or wall of wax round a growing comb, flexures may 

 sometimes be observed, corresponding in position to the 

 planes of the rhombic basal plates of future cells. But 

 the rough wall of wax has in every case to be finished 

 off, by being largely gnawed away on both sides. The 

 manner in which the bees build is curious ; they always 

 make the first rough wall from ten to twenty times thicker 

 than the excessively thin finished wall of the cell, which 

 will ultimately be left. We shall understand how they 

 work, by supposing masons first to pile up a broad ridge 

 of cement, and then to begin cutting it away equally 

 on both sides near the ground, till a smooth, very thin 

 wall is left in the middle ; the masons always piling up 

 the cut-away cement, and adding fresh cement on the 

 summit of the ridge. We shall thus have a thin wall 

 steadily growing upward but always crowned by a 

 gigantic coping. From all the cells, both those just 

 commenced and those completed, being thus crowned 



