236 
ON THE PHYSICAL POWER OF INSECTS. 
into a hive, which the Bees are quite unable to remove, its decay and corruption 
might prove a source of much injury to the hive. To prevent this it is carefully 
shrouded with a thick coat of wax, on which the sculptors form their accustomed 
foundations for a hexagonal cell; the end sought for calls for no such display of 
geometrical skill; but that this should lessen our admiration of the wonderful 
instinct implanted in these tiny creatures, to guide them on the most correct 
principles through the great bulk of their works, can only proceed from taking a 
very narrow view of their economy. 
In observing Bees through glass windows in their hives, I have had many 
opportunities of confirming the truth of M. Hubers observations, as to their 
secretion of wax, mode of working their cells, &c. &c. As an instance of their 
combined exertions, I may mention that I have seen a hive weigh 3ft>s. more after a 
single very fine summer day's labour. Of this weight each of the out-door workers 
will have to contribute at least one grain, a quantity, it will be evident, that a 
Bee can have no difficulty in gathering from the choicest flowers in the course of 
a long day's sunshine. The average of their day’s labour, however, must be 
taken very much lower than the weight above mentioned, and in an unfavourable 
wet month of summer they will sometimes be even found to lose weight. 
Connected with the economy of Bees, though not relating to their architecture, 
is the curious noise of one of the queen Bees for two or three evenings previous 
to the swarm coming off; the sound is sufficiently loud to be easily heard 
through the sides of the hive, on a still evening, to a person close behind, listen¬ 
ing attentively. As the sounds made by Bees and other insects have been ex¬ 
plained (see Vol. II., p. 45) as proceeding from different parts than those of 
voice, as in the higher animals, viz. by the wings or other organs beating or 
fretting on some vibratory substance, I can only explain this singular sound by 
referring it to the convulsive effort made* by the young queen with its wings 
while detained a captive in its cell for two or three days after it has attained, 
maturity. 
There are many other Bees remarkable for the architecture of their habitations ;; 
those of the Solitary Bee are next in instinct to the Hive Bee, but as none of 
them display the same beauty in their combs, I have preferred to confine myself’ 
entirely to the latter. The social Wasp ( Vespa vulgaris) is an architect scarcely 
less worthy of the naturalist’s attention than the Hive Bee. The regularity in 
the depth of the cells gives to the interior of the nest a uniformity that is wanting 
in the Bee. The cells of the Wasp are hexagonal, but as the greatest possible 
capacity with the least possible expenditure of materials is not so requisite for 
the habits of an insect which only uses the cells for breeding, and which has not 
to secrete the matter of which they are formed, the Wasp has been taught to* 
work its cells with flat bottoms, which are placed uppermost. 
