HABITATIONS OF INSECTS. 



411 



posterns for easy communication from one to the other without 

 losing time by going round. 



The arrangement of the combs is well adapted for its pur- 

 pose, but it is the construction of the cells which is most ad- 

 mirable 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 Avhich 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 cylindrical, 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 tri- 

 angular, this last objection, indeed, would be removed ; but 

 besides that a greater quantity of wax would have been re- 

 quired, the shape would have been inconvenient to a cylindri- 

 cal-bodied animal. All these difficulties are obviated by the 

 adoption of hexagonal cells, which are admirably fitted to the 

 form of the insect, at the same time that their sides apply to 

 each other without the smallest vacant intervals. Another 

 important saving in materials is gained by making a common 

 base serve for two strata of cells. Much more wax as well 

 as room would have been required, had the combs consisted 

 of a single stratum only. But this is not all. The base of 

 each cell is not an exact plane, but is usually composed of 

 three rhomboidal or lozenge-shaped pieces, placed so as to 

 form a pyramidal concavity. From this form it follows that 

 the base of a cell on one side or stratum of the comb is com- 

 posed of portions of the bases of three cells on the other. 

 You will inquire. Where is the advantage of this arrange- 

 ment ? First, a greater degree of strength ; and secondly, pre- 

 cisely the same as results from the hexagonal sides — a greater 

 capacity with less expenditure of wax. Not only has this 

 been indisputably ascertained, but that the angles of the base 



