4.86 INSTINCT OF INSECTS. 
between the edges of these combs, which are only fixed 
by their upper part, and the sides of the hive; and they 
might be pulled down by the weight of the honey, did 
not the bees ensure their stability by introducing large 
irregular masses of wax between their edges and the 
sides of the hive.—A striking instance of this art of se- 
curing their magazines occurred to Huber. A comb, 
not having been originally well fastened to the top of his 
glass hive, fell down during the winter amongst the other 
combs, preserving, however, its parallelism with them. 
The bees could not fill up the space between its upper 
edge and the top of the hive, because they never con- 
struct combs of old wax, and they had not then an op- 
portunity of procuring new: at a more favourable sea- 
son they would not have hesitated to build a new comb 
upon the old one; but it being inexpedient at that period 
to expend their provision of honey in the elaboration of 
wax, they provided for the stability of the fallen comb by 
another process. ‘They furnished themselves with wax 
from the other combs, by gnawing away the rims of the 
cells more elongated than the rest, and then betook them- 
selves in crowds, some upon the edges of the fallen comb, 
others between its sides and those of the adjoining combs; 
and there securely fixed it, by constructing several ties 
of different shapes between it and the glass of the hive; 
some were pillars, others buttresses, and others beams 
artfully disposed and adapted to the localities of the sur- 
faces joined. Nor did they content themselves with re- 
pairing the accidents which their masonry had expe~ 
rienced; they provided against those which might hap- 
pen, aud appeared to profit by the warning given by the 
fall of one of the combs to consolidate the others and pre- 
