[B41]

Oct 5/58/ In some old comb from Mr Innes that Bees had made as usual, the lower edge of square or truncate from building up the extreme marginal cells so that Bees could now stand only at right angles to plane of comb, & have, either from instinctive wish to work or to strengthen & save wax, they had made a number of cells (too short & within orifice, opening exactly downwards so as to be quite useless) at exactly right angles to proper hexagons. As some of cells happened to come down obliquely to lower edge of comb

[sketch] on the edge of comb

[sketch] short deeper

The base of these cells which do not arise from incipient cells on margins, are flat & formed by sides of hexagons. As it is there is great waste of wax (see back) They are roughly alternate in converging rows - but are nearly cylindrical - like pits round Queen cells

[B41v]

Another edge was far more irregular, but the pits obeyed same law of right angles

[sketch]

These at right angles to others have generally been begun on margins where proper cells were first. Forming, & then the Bees have worked at right angles to the proper plane in which the hexagon ought to rise

This specimen is only of use, as showing that standing surface influences plane in which they excavate, as in very artificial piece of wax