DILEMMA OF HUBER. 129 



cell can by some miraculous power bestow an ovarium upon 

 an insect which is not inherent in its nature ? and therefore, 

 in the elucidation of this mystery, we see ourselves naturally 

 obliged to have recourse to another hypothesis, which is, 

 that the whole nature of the egg was changed by the 

 common bees, according to some process known only to 

 themselves, which process imparted an organ, namely, an 

 ovarium, of which they, the creating bees, are themselves 

 destitute. This is, however, investing the common bee with 

 an almost supernatural power, and implies the existence of 

 a generating principle in an animal in itself a confirmed 

 neuter, which is not only an insoluble paradox, but it also 

 pre-supposes a concert of action in a very numerous popula- 

 tion, which comes equal in effect to any act resulting from 

 the operation of human reason. Huber was well aware 

 of the dilemma into which he had plunged himself by the 

 promulgation of so extraordinary a theory ; he saw that he 

 had advanced beyond the limits of analogy or probability, 

 and he found himself at length necessitated to admit that 

 the common egg cannot be transformed into a royal one 

 without the aid of some extraordinary power ; but then the 

 momentous question arose, where was he to look for that 

 power ? He dare not invest the bee with any generating 

 faculty, although he had bestowed upon it an ovarium, or, 

 more correctly speaking, the germ of an ovarium ; and there- 

 fore, rather than retrace his steps and acknowledge the error 

 into which he had fallen, he dashes forward like a man in 

 despair, into the very first path which appeared to promise 

 him an outlet, and putting his fancy to the utmost stretch, 

 he invents a particular species of bees to whom nature has 

 given the peculiar power of concocting a species of jelly, and 

 this invention, boldly and unblushingly promulgated by 

 Huber, is echoed by Kirby and Rennie, and a host of preju- 

 diced adherents, as proper to be received into the natural his- 

 tory of the bee. Mr. Rennie should have paused, and paused 



