[B63]

Bee Theory Begin: Mr W. has given an ingenious theory on construction of cells, that several begun tend to excavate cylinder & hollow bottoms so that the curves just touch each other, & their instinct guides them to eat to certain thickness. He gives diagram to illustrate this. But then at end he adds paragraph* (P Encyclop. Ld. Brougham) (I was guided by P. Huber paper on Melipone) that he supposes that the courses? or circles intersect each other: had he added that the insects tend build & excavate circles & spheres (all equal circles) at given distance he would have arrived at the following theory, what is only a modification of Mr Waterhouse. Before giving my theory, I must state certain well-known circumstances. (1) Insects can excavate or build cylinders & spheres, from turning round - & can judge to certain extent judge of distance. Humble-Bees cells & cells of Melipone &c. (2) Bees work mainly together or alternately. (3) Planes of Intersection. How they do this modelling & remodelling, as seen even in Hive Bee & in comb of wasp. [sketch]

Then for hypothesis - How judge of distance, F. Smith on Wasps - Worker Bees varying gradually size of comb round [sketch] small cells. (is this not proof of some irregularity?) Cannot

[B63v]

explain, but seeing that they can judge within length of one body to some extent of length, now gave assumption