[B23]

Specimens

18. Comb on Knife-edge of red wax at (a) some comb was added & now not [illeg] away shows capital to alternate position of Bees on 2 sides & planes of intersection wholly formed by gnawing. (draw from vertically above & laterally) it shows splendidly that walls of intersection are [sketch] at (b) the excavating has been carried down to board.

The comb shows black line of indigo which was coarsely added all round edge, which is almost always half-way between summit & bases of pyramids on this comb was the convex base, which was rendered flat.

Nr 17 shows very well, (especially the outer zone of one which was excessively thread like & added with care to seal medial edge), (there is inner zone of Blue & thick intermediate vermilion zone & variable zone of red) that the ribbon is eaten way & then forms that the middle part between

[B24]

bases & apices of pyramidal rhomb. Though wax is added to edges (perhaps only excavated wax?) yet vermilion has been beautifully diffused in prism some way within edge of comb. I, also, painted edge of one full formed hexagon, & this is diffused round all neighboring cells. All this proves how workers work all round. Even the growing edge was salmon-coloured. in one comb, showing that excavated wax is added to growing edge. The colour has been diffused 5 rows deep of cells from border

The growing ribbon is sinuous vertically or in plane of comb & laterally & is inclined slightly to either side - side from [number] pretty good for drawing