They B OVOTK of 
cell is founded always upon three other cells, 
and therefore has a common divifion with 
them; for none of the cells is circumf{cribed 
by any limits or partitions peculiar to it alone, 
fince all things are common between the Bees 
as between brothers. If the edifice be irregular 
it fometimes happens that one angle of a 
cell refts, or is fupported on a fourth cell: 
this does not happen frequently, though I 
have lately obferved it in a work that was 
pretty regularly built. 
The foundation of the cells is placed in the 
middle, and the cells on every fide reft on 
this foundation, which is commonly like a 
wall, perpendicularly extended from the up- 
per towards the lower parts ; and then on each 
fide againft this kind of wall are placed cells 
lying obliquely on their fides. Suppofe fome 
empty ale or beer glafles to be piled upon each 
other againft the fide ofa thin wall, and you will 
in fome meafure underftand the difpofition of 
thefe little cells: fix, eight, or more fuch 
walls, furnifhed with cells, are fometimes 
found in one hive, and they are always placed 
at fuch a diftance from each other, as to 
afford the Bees an eafy paflage between them. 
But, left thefe combs fhould fall down when 
they are full of honey, the Bee-keepers fix 
little fticks in the hives when they are empty, 
about which the Bees form their .works of 
wax. | 
All thefe cells, as well as their foundation, 
are formed of a continuous, but not conti- 
guous, matter, fo that all things are continued, 
nor can the cells be feparated from each other 
by any artifice, but by breaking or cutting 
them, whatever fome might have erroneoufly 
imagined, thinking that every Bee built its 
rO4 
own refpective cell. Of this matter we thall . 
treat hereafter more at large in its proper place. 
If the whole edifice be regular, then five of 
thefe little cells make exactly an inch, and 
fifty-five an Holland foot. Hence a French 
gentleman obferving this, and imagining that 
thefe cells were conftantly built after the fame 
rule, thought he had difcovered an everlafting 
meafure, which as it could never be deftroyed 
might be introduced among all nations, This 
invention would be certainly confirmed, and 
its importance proved, if thefe little cells were 
always fo exactly conftructed, and the combs 
in all nations were conftantly of the fame 
magnitude ; but with us the combs are not 
always fo exactly regular as is commonly be- 
lieved, though if we view the cells only cur- 
forily, they do not feem to differ a hairs 
breadth in meafure from each other. If any 
one compares them accurately one with ano- 
ther, he will fometimes find them irregular , 
efpecially when they are made by the Bees in 
fuch a manner, as to fit them only for receiv- 
ing the honey. The three parts of the 
foundation of the cells that tend obliquely 
downwards are ufually {quare, but they are 
fometimes oblong, and fometimes of a rhom- 
~ boidal figure ; nay, I have obferved that fome 
NRA: TAURI jun br, 
of them were longer of fhorter than others, 
and were alfo fometimes narrower and fome- 
times broader. Nor does every little cell reft 
conftantly on three cells, but fometimes on 
two and an half, and fometimes on three, and 
a part of the fourth. Moreover, thefe entire 
cells are fometimes twice or thrice as long as 
ufual, and they are likewife fometimes crooked 
or finuated, altogether like the cells of Hor- 
nets, which are commonly fomewhat crooked, 
becaufe they are extended little beyond their 
foundation or center. Bees never build in this 
manner, unlefs when very great plenty of 
honey offers to be gathered, for then I have 
feen cells full of honey, fealed up and fuf- 
pended like large lumps of earth in the hive, 
In regard to the cells of the female Bees, 
erroneoufly called the kings, and the parts 
where they are joined to others, confiderable 
irregularities frequently occur; though all of 
them viewed curforily may feem alfo to be 
very regular. 
We mutt further obferve, that the Bees 
never build their cells feparately, that is, fo as 
to perfect one before they begin another ; they 
always enter upon building a great number of 
cells together with their foundation at one 
and the fame time. Inthe beginning of the 
‘work, they lay that hollow triangular founda- 
tion which bends down obliquely, and termi- 
nates or gathers itfelf in acutely; then they 
conftruct the lower and hexagonal or unequal 
fides: fo that in one and the fame hive, may 
be feen at the fame time, the beginning of the 
foundation, and the rudiments of the hexagonal 
divifions of the cell on one fide, and the fame 
cell on the other fide, raifed higher on the 
fame foundation, and other fides again but juft 
begun and rifing. Moreover, in regard to this 
building of the cells, a very wonderful and ar= 
tificial dire€tion or management of the Bees is 
to be mentioned. ‘This they put in practice 
when the rifing hexagonal fides of the cells 
are very thin and weak; and when they have 
a mind to leave fuch cells imperfect for fome 
time, which is the cafe when the female, in 
order to lay her eggs, goes to another part of 
the hive ; as I fhall explain more at large here- 
after. When this happens, the Bees firft for- 
tify all the edges or borders of the hexagonal 
and imperfect fides, left they fhould be broke 
or bent in the mean time, which might eafily 
happen by the frequent running of the Bees 
over them. ‘They therefore furnifh the fides 
of the imperfect cells with a margin or bor- 
der glued thereon in the upper part, and pre- 
pared of a thicker and more folid fort of wax, 
and they put this waxen border on the extreme 
circumference of the hexagonal fides, fo that, 
by this means, the hexagonal figure of the cells, 
which was beginning regularly to fhew itlelf, 
is again in a manner obicured. ‘They fome- 
times alfo border the cells that are finifhed and 
perfected ; from which this further good arifes, 
that when {uch cell is to be afterwards clofed 
up, there is no neceflity for fo much time or 
wax, 
