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important element of success
any family of bees. Of course the success of
species
may be dependent on the number of its
or
or on quite distinct causes, and so be altogether independent of the quantity of honey which the bees
collect. But let us suppose that this latter circumstance determined, as it probably often
→the numbers of a humble-bee which could
in
→a
country; and let us further suppose
→(differently to what really is the case) that
the community lived
the winter, and consequently required a store of honey: there can in this case be no doubt that it would be an advantage to our
if a slight modification
her
led her to make her waxen cells near together, so as to intersect a little; for a wall in common even to two adjoining
would save some little
→wax. Hence it would continually be more and more
to our
if
were to make
cells more and more regular, nearer together, and aggregated into a mass, like the cells of the Melipona; for in this case a large part of the bounding surface of each cell would serve to bound
cells, and much
→wax
→would
be saved. Again, from the same cause, it would be advantageous to the Melipona, if she were to make her cells closer together, and more regular in every way than at present; for then, as we have seen, the spherical surfaces would wholly
and
be replaced by plane surfaces; and the Melipona would make a comb as perfect as that of the hive-bee. Beyond this stage of perfection in architecture, natural selection could not lead; for the comb of the hive-bee, as far as we can see, is absolutely perfect in economising
→wax.
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