Hello all--
 
A professor at the university asked me to forward this request to you.
I'm a reference librarian, and beekeeper myself in Puna, on the Island of
Hawai'i.
 
Kevin--
 
 
I am looking for *documented references* to books, periodicals
or research reports which give answers to the following question:
 
 
      What makes the cells of honeybee combs hexagonal?
 
 
      I'm not especially interested in unreferenced opinions
unless they're from apiculturists (bee people).  I have plenty of
unreferenced opinions of my own.  But I would welcome opinions from
apiculturalists, or information they may have found when reading
about bees (even ifthese reference are out of date.)
 
      The two main theories are 1) Geometry: bees try to make
cylindrical cells, but close-packing forces the cells into
hexagonal shapes, and 2) Instinct: that bees have a specific
instinct to build hexagons when cells are near each other.
(Single queen cells are cylindrical.)
 
      Buffon argued for geometry in the 1750s, Lord Brougham for
instinct in the 1830s, D'Arcy Thompson for geometry in 1913, and
von Frisch for instinct in 1974.
 
      Does anyone know of further references or for scholars who are
currently or have recently examined this problem (either in published
form or unpublished manuscripts?
 
You may send mail directly to me at the e-mail address below.
 
Thank you in advance for any information you can provide.
 
Ron Amundson
Univ. of Hawaii at Hilo
Hilo, HI  96720
[log in to unmask]