168 
CHAPTER XXIV. 
WAX AND COMB CONSTRUCTION. 
Thorley'^s Views — Martin J’oh7i — Willehiti a7id the Lusatian 
Peasant — Wax Scales — Hunter and Huber — Wax Discs — 
Giaiids — Fluid Wax — Wax Pockets — Secretion of Wax 
Voluntary — HubeVs Experwiejits — Wax produced from 
Saccharuie Substa7ices — Diwias a7id Mibie- Edivards — Polle7i 
required — Qua7itity of Ho7iey required to produce Wax — 
Actio7i of Swar 171 — Pestoo77s of Bees — Co7istructio7i of Comb — 
Cells at first Circular — Teget77ieie7'‘'' s Expe7'ime7it — Peaso7i of 
Hexag07tal Cells — Ir7'egularity of Cells — Experii7ients and 
Measureme7its 07i differ e7it Combs — Irregularities ht Worker 
Cells — Causes which produce them — Variatio7i hi Bases of 
Cells — l77iproper Alig7i7uent — l7icli7iatio7i of Rows of Cells — 
Attachme7ii — Square and Tra7isition Cells — Vai'iatio7i of 
A7igles — Scoophtg Actio7i — Quee7i Cells — Colour of Wax de- 
rived froi7i Pollen — Coi7ipositio7i — Specific Gravity — Covermgs 
of Cells — Co7iclusio7i . 
Of all the discoveries in connexion with the honey bee 
will always be reckoned amongst the most important 
and interesting that of the production of wax. 
Although the discovery is usually attributed to a 
Lusatian peasant, Thorley (i6i) mentions it in 1744 
in the following words : 
‘ For several seasons after I become a Bee-master, I 
was very desirous and diligent to find out how, or where, 
they brought home their wax, well knowing that gross 
Matter to be of a very contrary Nature, and applied to 
some other Use, but was not able for a considerable Time 
to enter into the secret. 
‘ At last, viewing a Hive of Bees very busy at Labour, I 
