Darwin Correspondence Project

British Museum

August 2d 1858

My dear Darwin

Do you see the Zoologist?—in the last part in the proceedg part is printed my few observations on Bees' cells. I have just seen that Mr Tegetmeier gave an account of some experiments made by him “with the view of ascertaining whether the cells of the Hive-bee were formed hexagonally, or whether such form was the result of lateral pressure”— Dr Gray contended that the lateral pressure theory was the true one. Mr Smith didn't believe it—he had failed in producing hexagons out of cylinders formed of paper pasted together &c!! That a reasoning being should go to work to make experiments to ascertain such a fact, is rather strange to me, & that, with his experiment he should arrive at the wrong conclusion is not strange— Smith then goes into the subject of the wasp's nest, & what is rather remarkable he makes no mention whatever of my remarks on the same subject, although I have repeatedly explained my views to him & he was present at the society when they were made, & moreover he has them in print— I don't think he quite understands what we are about!—

Lastly I wish to ask you whether you are aware that Lord Brougham has communicated a paper on The Structure of Bees' cells to the French academy, with the view, as I learn, of showing what errors Naturalists & Mathematicians have fallen into with regard to this subject— I shall be curious to see the paper! I am also anxious to hear what your views are coming to—

I have just come back from Germany having been sent to Stuttgart by the Museum authorities to examine & report upon, a collection of Fossils offered to us— as a considerable portion of the collection, however, was at Stockach a small village near Lake Constance I had to extend my journey to the extreme South of Germany & had two voyages on the Beautiful Lake Constance at which I was immensely delighted— on my way home I thought I would do a little travelling on my own account, so when I got back as far as Frankfort I started off to Berlin, and there I remained 4 or 5 days— from Berlin I came straight home without stopping (excepting 4 hours or so at Ostend because the wind was blowing great guns & the vessel didn't like to put to sea—we had a bit of a splash when we did) left Berlin on Saturday Evening at 612, arrived in London early on Monday morning & that's pretty quick work—

I should be glad to hear that you are better than when I last saw you

faithfully Yours | Geo. R. Waterhouse

P.S. I do not know exactly how Tegetmeier performed his experiments—he offered to make an experiment for me, but it does not appear that he has done what I wanted, viz to give the Bees a mass of wax to work in & to stick little wooden pegs in it so near together that 2 bees could not work together in the interspaces—