BEE-spoke-data/bees-v0 huggingface dataset:
ranges of cells, bucked against each other; these cells,_ looking at them as a whole, may be said to _have one common base,_ though no one cell is opposed directly to another. This base or partition, between the double row of cells, is so disposed as to form a pyramidal cavity at the bottom of each, as will be explained presently. _The mouths of the cells,_ thus ranged on each side of a comb, _open into two parallel streets_ (there being a continued series of combs in every well filled hive). These streets are sufficiently contracted, to avoid waste of room, and to preserve a proper warmth, yet_wide enough to allow the passage of two Bees abreast._ Apertures through different parts of the combs are reserved to form near roads, for crossing from street to street, whereby much time is saved to the Bees.
These in firm phalanx ply their twinkling feet, Stretch out the ductile mass, and form the street, With many a cross-way path and postern gate, That shorten to their range the spreading state. Evans.
"_Bees,_ as has been already observed, _build their cells of an hexagonal form, having six equal sides_, with the exception of the first or uppermost row, the shape of which is an irregular'pentagon, the roof of the live forming one of the numbers of the pentagon.
"There are only three possible figures of the cells," says Dr. Reid, "\({}^{\epsilon}\)which can make then all equal and similar, without any useless interstices. These are--the equilateral triangle, the square, and the regular hexagon. It is well known to mathematicians, that there is not a fourth way possible, in which a plane may be cut into little spaces, that shall be equal, similar, and regular, without having any interstices." Of these three geometrical figures, the hexagon most completely unites the prime requisites for insect architecture. The truth of this proposition was perceived by Pappus, an eninent Greek philosopher and mathematician, who lived at Alexandria, in the reign of Theodosius the Great, and its adoption by Bees, in the construction of honey-comb, was noticed by that ancient geometrician. These requisites are :--
"First, economy of materials. There are no useless partitions in a honey-comb, each of the six lateral panels of one cell forms also one of the panels of an adjoining cell; and of the three rhombs which form the
which prevents the mouth of the cell from being regularly hexagonal, though the interior is perfectly so.
On books deep poring, ye pale sons of toil,
Say, can you emulate with all your rules,
Drawn, or from Grecian or from Gothic schools,
Not all your marshall'd orbs that ride so high,
Proclaim more loud a present Doty,
Where on each angle genuine science dwells,
And joys to mark through wide creation's reign,
How close the lessening links of her continued chain.
Evan**.**
"Having just adverted to the ingenuity of Bees in thickening and thereby strengthening the mouths of the cells, it may here be observed --that _additional strength is also derived from the Bees covering the whole surface of the combs, but more particularly the edge of the cells, with a peculiar kind of varinski,_ which they collect for the purpose. At first the combs are delicately white, semi-transparent, and exceedingly fragile, smooth but unpolished : in a short time their surfaces become stronger, and assume more or less of a yellow tint. The deepening of the colour of honey-combs has been supposed, by sonc, to be the effect of age; and in part it may be: but it is principally owing to the coat of varnish, with which the Bees cover them. This varnish strongly resembles propolis, appearing to differ from it only in containing the colouring material which imparts to wax its yellow hue. The source of this colouring matter has not been discovered: it is insoluble in alcohol, but the manufacture of white wax shews that it is destructible by light. But to return to the construction of the cell-work.
* _"The pyramidal basis of a cell is formed by the junction of threerhonboidal or lozenge-shaped portions of \(\mathit{e}ax\):_ the apex of the pyramid being situated where the three obtuse angles of the lozenges meet. To the exterior edges and angles are attached the six panels or sides of each cell. The apex of each pyramidal bottom, on one side of a comb, forms the angles of the bases of three cells on the opposite side, the three lozenges respectively concurring in the formation of the bases of the same cells. This will, 1 hope, explain what is meant by "each cell separately weak, being strengthened by coincidence with others." The bottom of each cell restsupon three partitions of opposite cells, from which it receives a great accession of strength.
"As it is" desirable that the reader should thoroughly comprehend this subject, I will re-state it in other words. The partition which separates the two opposing rows of cells, and which occupies, of course, the middle distance between their two surfaces, is not a plane but a collection of rhombs, there being three at the bottom of each cell: the three together form in shape, a flattened pyramid, the basis of which is turned towards the mouth of the cell; each cell is in form, therefore, a hexagonal prism, terminated by a flattened trihedral pyramid, the three sides of which pyramid are rhombs, that meet at the apex by their obtuse angles.
"The union of the lozenges in one point,in addition to the support which it is the means of affording to the three partitions between opposing cells, is also adnirably adapted to receive the little egg and to concentrate the heat necessary for its incubation.
"Each obtuse angle of the lozenges or rhombs forms an angle of about 110 degrees, and each acute one, an angle of about 70 degrees. Mr. Maraldi found by nensurution that the angles of these rhombs, which con pose the base of a cell, anounted to 109 degrees and 28 seconds, and 70 degrees and 32 seconds : and the famous mathematician Koenig, pupil of the celebrated Bernouilli, having been employed for that purpose by M. Reaumur, has clearly shown, by the method of infinitesimals, that the quantity of these angles, using the least possible wax, in the cell of the same capacity, should contain 109 degrees and 26 seconds, and 70 degrees and 34 seconds. This was confirmed by the celebrated Mr. Mac Laurin, who very justly observes, that Bees do truly construct their cells of the best figure, and with the utmost mathematical exactness.
**"** The construction of several combs is generally going on at the same time. No sooner is the foundation of one laid, with a few rows of cells attached to it, than a second and a third are founded on each side, parallel to the first, and so on, (if the season give encouragement to the operations of the Bees,) till the hive is filled with their works ; the first constructed comb or combs being always in the most advanced state, and therefore the first to be completed.
**"**_The design of every comb is sketched out and the first rudiments are laid by one single Bee. This founder-Bee forms a block, out of a rough mass of wax, drawn partly from its own resources, but principally from those of other Bces, which furnish materials, in quick succession, from the receptacles under their bellies, taking out the plates of wax with their hind feet, and carrying them to their mouths with their fore feet, where the wax is moistened and masticated,till it becomes soft and ductile.
Thus filter'd through you flatterer's folded mail,
Clings the cool'd wax, and hardens to a scale;
(For not a buzz boon nature breathes in vain)
EVANS.
**"** The architect-in-chief, who lays, as it were, the first stone of this and each successive edifice, determines the relative position of the coubs, and their distances from each other: these foundations serve as guides for the ulterior labours of the wax working Bees, and of those which sculpture the cells, giving them the advantage of the margin and angles already formed.
**"** The expedients resorted to by that ingenious naturalist, Ihuber, unfolded the whole process. He saw each Bee extract with its hind feet one of the plates of wax from under the scales where they were lodged, and carrying it to the mouth in a vertical position, turn it round, so that every part of its border was made to pass in succession, under the cutting edge of the jaws; it was thus soon divided into very small fragments; and a frothy liquor was poured upon it from the tongue, so as to form a perfectly plastic mass. This liquor gave the wax a whiteness and opacity which it did not possess originally, and at the same time renders it tenacious and ductile. The issuing of this masticated mass from the mouth was, no doubt, what misled Reaumur, and caused him to regard wax as nothing more than digested pollen.
"The mass of wax, prepared by the assistants, is applied by the architect-Bee to the roof or bottom of the hive, as the case may be; and thus a block is raised of a semi-lenticular shape, thick at top and tapering towards the edges. When of a sufficient size, a cell is sculptured on one side of it, by the wax-working Bees, who relieve one another in succession, sometimes to the number of twenty, before the cell is completely fashioned.
At the back and on each side of this first cell, two others are sketched out and excavated. By this proceeding the foundations of two cells are laid, the line bewivat them corresponding with the centre of the opposite cell. As the conbs extend, the first excavations are rendered deeper and broader; and when a pyramidal base is finished, the Bees build up walls from its edges, so as to complete what may be called the prismatic part of the cell. Every succeeding row of cells is formed by precisely similar steps, until there is a sufficient scope for the simultaneous employment of many workers.
These, with sharp sickle, or with sharper tooth,
Pare each excrescence and each angle smooth,
Of snow-white cells, one mutual base disclose.
Six shining panels gird each polish'd round,
While walls so thin, with sister-walls combin'd,
Weak in themselves, a sure dependence find.
"The pyramidal bases and lateral plates are successively formed, with surprising rapidity; the latter are lengthened as the comb proceeds, for the original semi-lenticular form is preserved till towards the last, when, if the hive or box be filled, the sides of all the cells receive such additions as give them equal depth.
"_The cells intended for the drones_ are considerably larger, and more substantial, than those for the working Bees, and, being later formed, usually appear near the bottom of the combs. Last of all, are built the _royal cells,_ the cradles of the infant Queens : of these there are usually three or four, and sometimes ten or twelve, in a live, attached commonly to the central part, but not un-frequently to the edge or side of the comb. Mr. Hunter says that he has seen as many as thirteen royal cells in a live, and that they have very little wax in their composition, not one third, the rest he conceives to be farina. Such is the genuine loyalty of Bees, that the wax which they employ with so much geometric economy, in the construction of hexagonal cells, is profusely expended on the manison of the royal Bee- nymph, one of these exceeding in weight a hundred of the former. They are not interwoven with them, but suspended perpendicularly, their sides being nearly parallel to the mouth of the common cells, several of which are sacrificed to support them.
"In this unutilated state only, and not in the breeding season, could Mr. Hunter have seen this cradle of royalty ; for he describes it as the half of an oval, too wide and shallow to receive its supposed tenant.
"I have spoken of the perfect regularity in the cell-work of a honey-comb ;--particular circumstances, however, induce a departure from this exactness : for instance, where Bees have commenced a comb with small cell-work, and afterwards wish to attach to it a set of large cells, as in the case of drone-cells being required to be appended to workers'-cells. These deviations from the usual regularity renew our administration of Bee-ingenuity, though Reaunur and Bonnet have regarded them as examples of imperfection. They effect their object by interposing three or four series of, what may be called--_cells of transition,_ the bottom or bases of which are composed of two rhombs and two hexagons, instead of three rhombs ; the rhombs and hexagons gradually varying in form and relative proportion, till the requisite size, namely, that of the cells which they are approaching, has been attained.
"The same gradation is observed when returning to smaller cells. Every apparent irregularity is therefore determined by a sufficient motive, and forms no impeachment of the sagacity of the Bces.
"The common breeding-cells of drones or workers are occasionally (after being cleaned) made the depositories of honey ; but the cells are never made so clean, as to preserve the honey underiorated. The finest honey is stored in new cells, constructed for the purpose of receiving it, their configuration resembling precisely the common breeding-cells : these _honey-cells vary in size_, being made more or less capacious, _according to the productiveness of the sources from_ _which_ _the Bees are collecting, and according to the season of the year_ : the cells formed in July and August vary in their dimensions from those that are formed earlier ; being intended for honey only, they are larger and deeper, the texture of their walls is thinner, and they have more dip or inclination ; this dip diminishes the risk of the honey's running out, which, from the heat of the weather, and the consequent thinness of the honey, at this season of the year, it might otherwise be liable to do. _When the cells_, intended for holding the winter's pro vision, _are filled, they are always closed with reason lids,_ and never re-opened till the whole of the honey in the unfilled cells has been expended. The waxen lids are thus formed ; --the first Bees construct a ring of wax within the verge of the cell, to which other rings are successively added, till the aperture of the cell is finally closed with a lid composed of concentric circles.
"The brood-cells, when their tenants have attained a certain age, are also covered with waxen lids, like the honey-cells; the lids differ a little, the latter being somewhat concave, the former convex. _The depth of the brood-cells_ of drones and working Bees is about half an inch; _their diameter_ is more exact, that of the drone-cells being three lines \({}^{pprox}\) and one third, that of the workers two lines and three fifths. These, says Reaumur, are the invariable dimensions of all the cells, that ever were, or ever will be made.
"From this uniform, unvarying diameter of the brood-cells, when completed, their use has been suggested, as an universal standard of measure, which would be understood, in all countries, to the end of time."
While heav'n born instinct bound their measur'd view,
From age to age, from Zembla to Peru ;
Their snow-white cells, the order'd artists frame,
In size, in form, in symmetry, the same.
Notwithstanding my admiration of the ability displayed in the foregoing account, I cannot but observe, as the reader will probably have already observed, that in it Dr. Bevan makes mention of "_the founder-Bee,--the architect-in-chief,--the architect Bee, 8c_." and says emphatically--that "the design of every comb is sketched out, and the first rudiments are laid by one single Bec ;" as if one particular Bee in a live or swarm possessed architectural skill which is not possessed by all working Becs. Now, instead of conferring an _honorary degree_ upon any Bee or Bees on account of superior architectural genius, I am inclined to concur with my observant friend at Gedney Hill, who says--he is decidedly of opinion that all working Becs are in their turn architect Becs, and as capable of designing and laying the foundation of a comb as they are of working upon it afterwards; and that it mainly depends upon the kind of material they happen to have collected, or to have about them, at the time it is necessary to
if not a proof, leads to the conclusion that they fall to work simultaneously, and that _there is no architect-in-chief, nor particular founder Bee._ Nay, Dr. Bevan himself, quoting from Dr. Reid, says *--" in the arts of animals no individual can claim the invention. Every animal of the species has equal skill from the beginning, without teaching, without experience or habit." The simple fact I take to be this--viz. when a swarm of Bees is put into an empty live or box, they cluster together in the crown of it in a body so compact and dense as to defy mortal eye!+ to inspect their
ments laid by _one single Bee,"_ called by him _the founder Bee._ But he is not quite sure that he rightly understands what is meant by "_sketehing a design;_" nor can he comprehend by what means even Huber, ingenious as he was, could be acquainted with _the designs of a particular Bee:_ but he can and does pronounce all this _sketching, designing, founder Bee,_ &c. to be neither less, nor more, nor other, than nonsensical conjecture.--Eb.
* See Bevan on Bees, p. S36.
+ Dr. Bevan, as quoted in pages 254, 255, herein, informs us that " Huber unfolded the whole process " of comb-build-ing,--that _he--poor blind_ Huber--_sau_ each Bee,&c._ It is hardly credible that a blind man, however ingenious, could see what even Dr. Bevan with all his seven pairs of eyes pretends not to have seen. Dr. Bevan may have strong faith in Huber's _visionary_ discoveries; and his (Dr. Bevan's) intellects must be pronounced to be _surprising_ in this particular at least--Eb.
with as much rain-water as will make them float; then simmer over a clear fire until the combs be completely dissolved; and the wax and the dross mixed with it will swim at the top of the water. Pour the whole into a strong and tolerably fine canvas bag, made wide at the top and tapering downwards to a point, in the form of a jelly bag. Hold this over a tub or large vessel in which is a quantity of cold water. The boiling water will, of course, soon drain through, and leave in the bag the greater part of the liquefied wax commingled with dross. Have ready then a piece of smooth board of such a length that when one end of it is placed in the tub of cold water, the other end may be conveniently rested against, and securely stayed by your breast. Upon this inclined plane lay your dripping, recking strainer, and keep it from slipping into the cold water by bringing its upper part over the top of the board so as to be held firmly between it and your breast. If the strainer be made with a broad hem round its top, a piece of strong tape or cord passed through such hem will draw it close, and should be long enough to form a stirup for the foot, by which an additional power will be 263
gained of keeping the scaling-hot strainer in its proper place on the board: then by compressing the bag, or rather its contents, with any convenient roller, the wax will ooze through and run down the board into the cold water, on the surface of which it will set in thin flakes. When this part of the operation is finished, collect the wax, put it into a clean saucepan, in which is a little water to keep the wax from being bunt to the bottom; melt it _carefully_ (for, should it be neglected and suffered to boil over, serious mischief might ensue, liquid wax being of a very inflammable nature) therefore melt it _carefully over a slow fire,_ and slim off the dross as it rises to the top; then pour it into such moulds or shapes as your fancy may direct, having first well rinsed then, in order that you may be able to get the wax, when cold and solid, out of them without breaking either the moulds or the wax: place them, covered over with cloths or with pieces of board, where the wax will cool slowly; because the more slowly it cools the more solid it will be and free from flaws and cracks. You will thus have your wax in cakes, which may be rendered still more pure by a second melting and moulding. If run into very thin cakes, and afterwards exposed to the influence of the sun and the air, frequently turned, and occasionally wetted, it will lose its yellowish, and become beautifully white. This last process is called _bleaching;_ and, though more simple and practicable than that pursued in establishments where large quantities of wax are bleached -- where bleaching wax is of itself a regular business--it may probably be sufficient to answer all the purposes for which _white-wax_ is wanted in private families. I have 'by me wax of my own bleaching that is equal in whiteness and delicacy to any I have ever met with.
Good wax is a heavy, solid substance, of a deep yellow colour, has an agreeable, balsanic odour, and possesses several medicinal and other valuable qualities.
Combs that have never been filled, and those that have been filled with honey only, afford the best wax. Of the former kind but very little need ever be taken from Bces in collateral-boxes ; and when any such combs are taken, they may be far more advantageously disposed of than by being melted down for the wax they contain.
Instead of crushing and melting all the
CIGAPTER XVIII.
where situation for bees.
There is no part of Bee-management more utterly disregarded by coutage-hive Bee keppers than that which relates to a proper situation for store-hives during winter. From whatever cause this inattention may proceed, --whether from custom, ignorance, or prejudice, it is much to be regretted; because nothing is so essentially conducive to the future prosperity, and often to the very preservation, of a colony, as due attention to its winter situation. Left, as stock-hives commonly are, in their summcr aspect, and to stand upon the very spot they have occupied over since the day of their existence as stocks, --with their entrances wide open, just--as--they were in summer,--exposed alike to every change of weather and to every--attack of proving enemies; or, if covered at all, it is mostly with a rude coat of straw, or recd, or such material as affords to mice, vermin, and various sorts of Bee-enemics, shelter and concealment, and in fact, encouragement to attack and destroy the hives. Thus, neglected and unheceded, it is no wonder that so many stocks of Bces perish in the winter and spring of every year; the wonder rather is that any should survive.
Some apiarian authors are opposed to the confinement of Bces in their hives, except when snow is on the ground: _then,_ and _then only,_ they recommend the confinement of Bces as necessary for their safety. Now, I would respectfully ask--if, in the North of England and in Scotland, snow does not lie on the ground for weeks, and in some years for months together? and I would ask further--if Bees can bear this confincmentwith snow on the ground, why they cannot bear it when there is no snow? They argue, however, in the face of this admission, that confinement is injurious to Bces, and that a flight in the open air on a fine day, if there should happen to be a fine day, in the depth of winter, is beneficial to Bces, otherwise, they say, the Bces would not take
it. A mild, open winter, every body knows, renders unconfined Bees poor: and when kept in a state of perpetual agitation and alarm by the restless enemies that surround them and nestle in their straw covering, and tempted by the faint, winter sun-beams that glean upon their floor-board through the unclosed entrance of their hives, they will, no doubt, sometimes sally forth. But what is the consequence? Hundreds and thousands of them become paralyzed * and never return ; and those that do get home again have occasion for food : of course, the oftener these winter flights take place, the more the population of the hives they issue from is diminished, and the more pauperized that diminished population be comes in consequence of such flights: whereas if Bces were confined, kept in darkness, or, at any rate, out of the influence of the sun, kept dry, cool, still, and undisturbed, no such disastrous consequences would ensue.