JVJX AND COMB CONSTRUCTION. 
175 
prepared the wax by making it plastic with saliva, 
as already described, sticks it to the roof. To this 
first layer others are added, till all her wax is exhausted. 
Other bees do the same thing, and continue laying the 
foundation. Presently, small, shapeless blocks of wax 
hang down from the roof. It is these blocks that 
the bees, with their mandibles, scoop out and form 
into the first cells, adding what is removed to the 
edges. 
While the workers continue to prolong the founda- 
tion wall, and whilst the first cells are being shaped, 
new ones are set out, and the work advances with a 
marvellous rapidity. 
Each cell forms a hexagonal cup, closed on one 
side only by a pyramidal base, produced by the meet- 
ing together of three rhombs, or lozenges. These 
form the midrib, the cells on the opposite side being 
similar, but so arranged that the base of each cell 
is formed by the union of the bases of three opposite 
cells. 
The bees begin by scooping out the base of the 
cell with their mandibles, which by reference to Fig. 
63, B, will be seen to be admirably adapted for this 
purpose. 
The wax which is removed is placed on the edges. 
All the cells are commenced in the same way, as M. 
Tegetmeier (159) pointed out in his experiments. He 
says : 
‘ My first experiment consisted in placing a flat, parallel- 
sided block of wax in a hive containing a recent swarm. 
In this the cells were excavated by the bees at irregular 
