[B26]

May 31 - Little rod of Zinc - The hex prisms can be completed partly only pyramid & partly on rod. In building prisms & every part, they add rough thick edge of wax & then plane it down

[sketch] Angle a is external & in contact with no other sphere.

The rounded edges of exterior cells seem to arch over like part of spheres

I think pyramid 1/10" deep

June 1' Ridge of Wax 1/10 of inch "above 1/20" or on average beyond cells - thicker round circumference, than round prisms. A rhomb is begun to be cleared in center & the clearing is never completed till walls of prism completed. They evidently wait till ready to go on. Hence as general rule further rhombs are circular at further edge. This circular clearing, I have seen [sketch] marked by ink spot. Every single bit of further end of ridge will have to be removed

This can be seen in every stage from more transposed spot

The clearing begins not center but in angle of more perfect cells

[B26v]

[sketch]

[Many lines illeg]

It is certain that hexagon prisms are built at centre sides of cells before falling short [illeg]

I have seen this [sketch] wall added of prism

One arch is common to 2 rhombs when these are increasing.

[sketch] the dotted line will be completed, corresponding to walls & edge of rhombs simultaneously

[B27]

June 1' Bees seem to form a layer, projecting on average about 1/10 of inch & only 1/20" thick yet & I think only about half of depth of pyramid. This form of little pellets of yellowest wax, strongly cohering. This layer continues advancing as irregular & very slightly flexuous [3 lines illeg]

[B27v]

Bees often gnaw away (I have seen them) wherever cell is fd with Knife-edge walls. You may be sure they have begun to gnaw - jagged outline - I was [illeg] during whole day watching a bit of horizontal comb - so with some [illeg]

[sketch] In this comb on one side I have seen case [sketch] of one side of arch made straight because there was cell commenced there

 

[B27A]

I shd have expected first Bee would have found as that semi saucer on edge; & from Bees working on opposite sides, would have formed wall soon to be connected on [sketch] anterior face into 2 lateral mounds of wax from Bee beginning to work on 2 lateral edges