488 Transactions. — Zoology. 



little tools and builds its cell in the most cheery confidence, 

 because it knows that food in flowers has been provided for it, 

 and because it has been designed to build the cell exactly in 

 this special manner to store its food. It has been as much 

 designed to do this as it has been designed to fertilise plants. 

 Will any person who objects to the word "designed" kindly 

 explain how it is that numerous species of plants depend for 

 existence and propagation almost entirely upon the visits of 

 bees '? We know of no other principle of construction that 

 will hold so much liquid so well and in so small a space as 

 that of the cell of the hive-bee. There is the cell of the 

 mason-wasp, which is a very wonderful structure too, al- 

 though oftentimes a great nuisance to us in New Zealand. 

 But this cell is round or oblong, with no oblique angles — a 

 much more simple construction than that of the hive-bee. 

 Moreover, it is built of clay, not of wax. How is the doctrine 

 of natural selection to explain this one vast difference of ma- 

 terial in exactly a similar operation ? True, its whole purpose 

 is different, but nevertheless a cell is built.''' 



But after the swarm has been taken, away the young bee 

 flies. It may have to fly a mile or more ; but it brings back 

 its nectar, unerringly selects its new home out of a row of 

 perhaps twenty boxes, and sets to work just as I suppose its 

 ancestors have worked throughout all time. 



The dividing wall of the two layers of cells are named "basal 

 rhombic plates." I cannot define more than three plates with 

 clearly -formed and beautiful oblique angles. Yet in his con- 

 clusion Darwin says, " the bees, of course, no more knowing 

 that they swept their spheres at one particular distance from 

 each other than they knew what are the several angles of the 

 hexagonal prisms and of the basal rhombic plates." Now, I ask 

 any one really desirous of testing these statements — (and, not- 

 withstanding the weight of authority Darwin makes a point 

 of always bringing to support his arguments, I hold that every 

 one of his statements requires the most careful testing and 

 verifying)- — to look at these basal plates of the cell and ask 

 himself whether the bee knew what it was doing or whether it 

 did not ? If not, if it only acts from the blind principle of 

 evolution and natural selection that is immediately afterwards 

 referred to in the conclusion, why is it that each basal plate is 



* The mason-fly, by some method I cannot explain, stupefies, either 

 by injecting a fluid or paralysing certain nerves, the spider which it has 

 entombed in the cell with its egg. Tliis stupefaction lasts a period of 

 two to four months. The larvte of the fly hatch out and feed upon the 

 beautifully-preserved body of the spider. I have often thought that this 

 process of stupefaction should be carefully investigated, in order to see 

 whether nature has not in this matter shown us an example whereby we 

 might preserve our meat. 



