^H COMPARATIVE VARIABILITY IN THE HONEY BEE. 37 



If then germinal variation will not explain all these variations 

 and if we accept the explanation offered as a partial and possible 

 statement of the cause, then it would appear that the mere chance 

 as to which cell happens to be the receptacle of a drone egg 

 determines its variation. While it is probable that even this 

 " chance " is according to fixed law, the fact remains that in any 

 event this law is beyond the possibility of formulation from any 

 observations except those extending over far more individuals 

 than those here used. On this account we consider ourselves 

 justified in our tabulation of results rather than in the plotting 

 of curves and expression in mathematical formulae, since that 

 would be undesirable except with far more measurements and 

 with material gathered under conditions better controlled. Our 

 tables show the variation as it actually exists in a state of nature 

 and the real laws can be worked out only from observations from 

 control experiments and this it is hoped will be possible in the 

 near future. 



We do not wish to be considered as advocating the inadequacy 

 of the theory of germinal variation to explain variation, since 

 we have no means of knowing whether these variations can be 

 inherited but simply wish to express the facts as we find them, 

 and leave the explanation of the bearing of germinal variation on 

 this problem for future investigation. 



October I, 1903. 



EXPLANATIONS OF FIGURES. 



FIG. I. Fore wing of honey bee, normal. Cells and veins are named according 

 to Comstock and Needham. 



FIG. 2. Hind wing of honey bee, normal. 



FIG. 3. Typical hymenopterous wing according to Comstock and Needham. 



FIG. 4. Part of fore wing of honey bee showing (in dotted lines) where acces- 

 sory veins were seen to occur in the wings examined. Lettering purely arbitrary as 

 explained in text. 



