THE HONEY-BEE. 
105 
below. Previous to availing themselves of the 
added room, the bees reduce the thickness of the 
edges of the combs. When new, the combs are of 
a remarkably pure white colour, but soon assume a 
yellowish hue, and when a year old, are of a deep 
brown. This discoloration is believed by many to arise 
from the vapours and heated air of the hive ; but is 
attributed by Huber, erroneously we think, to some 
direct action on the part of the Bees, which are fre- 
quently seen rubbing the surface of the comb with 
their teeth and fore-feet. In the construction of the 
cells, the Bees adopt the hexagonal form, (PI. VI. Fig. 
1 , b, b,) consisting of six equal sides, and begin their 
operations at the bottom, prolonging by degrees the 
pannels or sides. The bottom of a cell is composed 
of three rhombs, or plates of wax in the shape of 
lozenges or of card-diamonds, and disposed in such a 
manner as to form a hollow pyramid. “ The apex of 
each pyramidal bottom, on one side of a comb, forms 
the angles of the bases of three cells on the opposite 
side, the three lozenges respectively concurring in 
the formation of the bases of the same cells.”* The 
whole structure is so delicately thin, that three or 
four of the sides, placed upon one another, have no 
more thickness than a leaf of common paper. But 
by the admirable disposition and arrangement of its 
parts, “ each cell, separately weak, is strengthened 
by coincidence with others. The bottom of each 
cell rests upon three partitions or pannels of opposite 
cells, from which it receives a great accession of 
* Bevan on the Honey-Bee, 2 d Edit. p. 391, 
