174 
THE Parmer’s uanual. 
known. Independently of the kind of cells which 
are the most numerous, others are constructed of a 
size rather larger, which are appropriated to the re- 
ception of the eggs from which the drones are to 
spring. The Bees, in the construction of the cells, 
regard particularly these two combinations, that of 
the size, and the number of Bees to be produced, or 
generated. The cells of the drones differ in tlieir 
depth and breadth, but they have in general a regular 
diameter, which is three lines and a half ; from which 
it appears that twenty of the drone cells would cover 
a space of five inches, ten lines, whilst twenty cells 
of the working Bees cover a space of exactly four 
inches. All this labour is performed with so much 
skill and firmness, that three or four of these sides 
placed on each other, do not exceed the thickness of 
common paper. A different species of cell is also 
constructed, destined to be the cradle of the queens. 
The architects now abandon their ordinary form of 
building, and construct the cells of a circular and 
oblong figure, which possess much solidity. One of 
these cells will weigh as much as 100 or 150 of the 
commoa cells. There is less economy used in their 
construction ; the wax is used with more profusion ; 
the exterior is waved ; in fine, they are really royal 
cells. They are trifling in number compared with 
the other cells. 
A piece of honey-comb is one of the wonders of 
art, produced by the powers of instinct, and may be 
considered as a masterpiece of nature. Even man 
himself, with ail his boasted reason, must bow with 
profound deference to the superior industry, econo- 
my, sagacity, political harmony, and order of the Bee. 
CHAP. XI. 
On ihe particular substances which are found in a hive. 
In the front rank of these substances, stands pro- 
polis ; for with this, they stop all the crevices of the 
