Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History Bookonsidering my little discussion in relation to Lord
Brougham (74/1. Lord Brougham's paper on "The Mathematical Structure
of Bees' Cells," read before the National Institute of France in May,
1858.), and as I have been more vituperated for this part than for
almost any other, I should like just to tell you how I think the case
stands. The discussion viewed by itself is worth little more than the
paper on which it is printed, except in so far as it contains three or
four certainly new facts. But to those who are inclined to believe the
general truth of the conclusion that species and their instincts are
slowly modified by what I call Natural Selection, I think my discussion
nearly removes a very great difficulty. I believe in its truth chiefly
from the existence of the Melipona, which makes a comb so intermediate
in structure between that of the humble and hive-bee, and especially
from the new and curious fact of the bees making smooth cups or saucers
when they excavated in a thick piece of wax, which saucers stood so
close that hexagons were built on their intersecting edges. And, lastly,
because when they excavated on a thin slip of wax, the excavation on
both sides of similar smooth basins was stopped, and flat planes left
between the nearly opposed basins. If my view were wholly false these
cases would, I think, never have occurred. Sedgwick and Co. may abuse me
to their hearts' content, but I shall as yet continue to think that mine
is a rational explanation (as far as it goes) of their method of work.
LETTER 75. TO W.H. MILLER.
Down, December 1st [1859].
Some months ago you were so kind as to say you would measure the
thickness of the walls of the basal and side plates of the cell of the
bee. Could you find time to do so soon? Why I want it soon, is that I
have lately heard from Murray that he sold at his sale far more copies
than he has of the "Origin of Species," and that I must immediately
prepare a new edition, which I am now correcting. By the way, I hear
from Murray that all the attacks heaped on my book do not seem to have
at all injured the sale, which will make poor dear old Sedgwick groan.
If the basal plates and walls do differ considerably in thickness, as
they certainly did in the one or two cells which I measured without
particular care (as I never thought the point of any importance), will
you tell me the bearing of the fact as simply as you can, for the chance
of one so stupid as I am in geometry being able to understand?
Would the greater thickness of the basal plates and of the rim of the
hexagons be a good adaptation to carry the vertical weight of the cells
filled with honey and supporting clusters of living bees?
Will you endeavour to screw out time and grant me this favour?
P.S. If the result of your measurement of the thickness of the walls
turns out at all what I have asserted, would it not be worth while to
write a little bit of a paper on the subject of your former note; and
"pluck" the bees if they deserve this degradation? Many mathematicians
seem to have thought the subject worthy of attention. When the cells are
full of honey and hang vertically they have to support a great weight.
Can the thicker basal plates be a contrivance to give strength to the
whole comb, with less consumption of wax, than if all the sides of the
hexagons were thickened?
This crude notion formerly crossed my mind; but of course it is beyond
me even to conjecture how the case would be.
A mathematician, Mr. Wright, has been writing on the geometry of
bee-cells in the United States in consequence of my book; but I can
hardly understand his paper. (75/1. Chauncey Wright, "Remarks on the
Architecture of Bees" ("Amer. Acad. Proc." IV., 1857-60, page 432.)
LETTER 76. TO T.H. HUXLEY.
(76/1. The date of this letter is unfortunately doubtful, otherwise
it would prove that at an early date he was acquainted with Erasmus
Darwin's views on evolution, a fact which has not always been
recognised. We can hardly doubt that it was written in 1859, for at
this time Mr. Huxley was collecting facts about breeding for his lecture
given at the Royal Institution on February 10th, 1860, on "Species and
Races and their Origin." See "Life and Letters," II., page 281.)
Down [June?] 9 [1859?].
If on the 11th you have half an hour to spare, you might like to see a
very good show of pigeons, and the enclosed card will admit you.
The history of error is quite unimportant, but it is curious to observe
how exactly and accurately my grandfather (in "Zoonomia," Volume I.,
page 504, 1794) gives Lamarck's theory. I will quote one sentence.
Speaking of birds' beaks, he says: "All which seem to have been
gradually produced during many generations by the perpetual endeavour of
the creatures to supply the want of food, and to have been delivered
to their posterity with constant improvement of them for the purposes
required." Lamarck published "Hist. Zoolog." in 1809. The "Zoonomia" was
translated into many languages.
LETTER 77. TO C. LYELL. Down, 28 [June 1859].
It is not worth while troubling you, but my conscience is uneasy at
having forgotten to thank you for your "Etna" (77/1. "On the Structure
of Lavas which have been consolidated on Steep Slopes, with remarks
on the Mode of Origin of Mount Etna, and on the Theory of 'Craters of
Elevation'" ("Phil. Trans. R. Soc." Volume CXLVIII., 1858, page 703).),
which seems to me a magnificent contribution to volcanic geology, and I
should think you might now rest on your oars in this department.
As soon as ever I can get a copy of my book (77/2. "The Origin of
Species," London, 1859.) ready, in some six weeks' or two months' time,
it shall be sent you; and if you approve of it, even to a moderate
extent, it will be the highest satisfaction which I shall ever receive
for an amount of labour which no one will ever appreciate.
LETTER 78. TO J.D. HOOKER.
(78/1. The reference in the following letter is to the proofs of
Hooker's "Australian Flora.")
Down, 28 [July 1859].
The returned sheet is chiefly that which I received in MS. Parts seem to
me (though perhaps it may be forgetfulness) much improved, and I retain
my former impression that the whole discussion on the Australian flora
is admirably good and original. I know you will understand and not
object to my thus expressing my opinion (for one must form one) so
presumptuously. I have no criticisms, except perhaps I should like
you somewhere to say, when you refer to me, that you refer only to the
notice in the "Linnean Journal;" not that, on my deliberate word of
honour, I expect that you will think more favourably of the whole than
of the suggestion in the "Journal." I am far more than satisfied at what
you say of my work; yet it would be as well to avoid the appearance of
your remarks being a criticism on my fuller work.
I am very sorry to hear you are so hard-worked. I also get on very
slowly, and have hardly as yet finished half my volume...I returned on
last Tuesday from a week's hydrop |