xtreme thinness of the little rhombic
plate, that they could have effected this by gnawing away the convex side;
and I suspect that the bees in such cases stand in the opposed cells and
push and bend the ductile and warm wax (which as I have tried is easily
done) into its proper intermediate plane, and thus flatten it.

From the experiment of the ridge of vermilion wax, we can clearly see that
if the bees were to build for themselves a thin wall of wax, they could
make their cells of the proper shape, by standing at the proper distance
from each other, by excavating at the same rate, and by endeavouring to
make equal spherical hollows, but never allowing the spheres to break into
each other. Now bees, as may be clearly seen by examining the edge of a
growing comb, do make a rough, circumferential wall or rim all round the
comb; and they gnaw into this from the opposite sides, always working
circularly as they deepen each cell. They do not make the whole three-sided
pyramidal base of any one cell at the same time, but only the one rhombic
plate which stands on the extreme growing margin, or the two plates, as the
case may be; and they never complete the upper edges of the rhombic plates,
until the hexagonal walls are commenced. Some of these statements differ
from those made by the justly celebrated elder Huber, but I am convinced of
their accuracy; and if I had space, I could show that they are conformable
with my theory.

Huber's statement that the very first cell is excavated out of a little
parallel-sided wall of wax, is not, as far as I have seen, strictly
correct; the first commencement having always been a little hood of wax;
but I will not here enter on these details. We see how important {231} a
part excavation plays in the construction of the cells; but it would be a
great error to suppose that the bees cannot build up a rough wall of wax in
the proper position--that is, along the plane of intersection between two
adjoining spheres. I have several specimens showing clearly that they can
do this. Even in the rude circumferential rim or wall of wax round a
growing comb, flexures may sometimes be observed, corresponding in position
to the planes of the rhombic basal plates of future cells. But the rough
wall of wax has in every case to be finished off, by being largely gnawed
away on both sides. The manner in which the bees build is curious; they
always make the first rough wall from ten to twenty times thicker tha