Curiosities & wonders > New observations on the natural history of bees

396 MODIFICATIONS OF THE
and the surfaces of the lower part are brought I
to the proper figure.
We have seen their regard for symmetry !
exhibited in a manner still more decided.
From a series of preceding irregularities,
having been induced to plant two blocks
instead of one on a spar, but not in the same
line, they could neither be enlarged without j
interrupting each other, nor could their
edges unite, from their respective position.
However, the bees adopted a very effectual
plan: they curved the edges of the two
combs, and brought them to meet so per¬
fectly, that they could continue them toge- j
ther. The part above this junction diverged I
greatly from a straight line; but in pro¬
portion as the united combs were prolonged, ;
their surface became more and more level,
and at length perfectly uniform.
A comb never commences with the cells j
of males, the first rows being formed of very
regular small cells: But the reciprocal cor¬
respondence among them soon ceases to be
so exact, and the bottoms are less symme- j
trical. It would be impossible for the bees
to produce an absolute correspondence be¬
tween unequal cells and those perfectly re¬
gular ; we frequently observe little masses