486 HABITATIONS OF INSECTS. 



for easy communication from one to the other without 

 losing time by going round. 



The arrangement of the combs is well adapted for 

 its purpose, but it is the construction of the cells which 

 is most admirable and astonishing. As these are formed 

 of wax, a substance secreted by the bees in no great 

 abundance, it is important that as little as possible of 

 such a precious material should be consumed. Bees, 

 therefore, in the formation of their cells have to solve 

 a problem which would puzzle some geometers, namely, 

 a quantity of wax being given, to form of it similar and 

 equal cells of a determinate capacity, but of the largest 

 size in proportion to the quantity of matter employed, 

 and disposed in such a manner as to occupy in the hive 

 the least possible space. Every part of this problem is 

 practically solved by bees. If their cells had been cy- 

 lindrical, which form seems best adapted to the shape 

 of a bee, they could not have been applied to each 

 other without leaving numberless superfluous vacuities. 

 If the cells were made square or triangular, this last 

 objection, indeed, would be removed; but besides that 

 a greater quantity of wax would have been required, 

 the shape would have been inconvenient to a cylin- 

 drical-bodied animal. All these difficulties are obviated 

 by the adoption of hexagonal cells, which are admira- 

 bly fitted to the form of the insect, at the same time 

 that their sides apply to each other without the small- 

 est vacant intervals. — Another important saving in ma- 

 terials is gained by making a common base serve for 

 two strata of cells. Much more wax as well as room 



