108 
ARCHITECTURE OF BEES. 
in the bee, but in the Geometrician who made the 
bee, and made all things in number, weight, and 
measure. 
The cells in a lione\ r -comb are of different dimen- 
sions, corresponding to the different classes of bees, 
of which they form the birth-place. Those of the 
workers (PI. VI. fig. 1, c, c ,) are in depth about five 
lines, or less than half an inch, and in diameter 2f 
lines ; those of the males (d, d, d.) are between six 
and seven lines in depth, and 3'j in diameter. Both 
of these are ultimately employed, after the -breeding 
season is past, as receptacles for honey. The male, 
or drone cells are few compared with those of workers, 
which last generally compose the whole of the central 
combs, while the first are most frequently constructed 
on the extremities of combs at some distance from 
the centre. 
It is curious to note the proceedings of the bees 
when about to pass from the construction of worker- 
cells to those of males. They do not all at once 
commence the latter of their full diameter ; such a 
proceedingwould utterly disorder the delicate arrange- 
ment of the bases of the cells. But they build a few- 
rows of intermediate cells, whose diameter augments 
progressively, until they gain the proportion proper 
to the cells required. And in returning to those of 
workers, a similar gradation is rigidly observed. The 
irregularity apparent in these transition cells lias 
been accounted a defect. It is, on the contrary, an 
additional instance of that wise instinct which teaches 
them to quit the ordinary mode of proceeding, when 
