BEE MANUAL, 95 
In the American Apiculturist for March, 1885, there is 
an interesting article on the “‘ Origin of the Cells of the Hive 
Bee,” by A. Todd, and also a description of ‘“ Holman’s new 
illustration of cell formation” in vegetabie structure. The 
latter consists of an apparatus for forcing soap bubbles between 
two parallel plates of glass, when it is seen that the spherical 
bubbles, when crowded together, are changed into “ polygonal 
forms analogous to those that we see in cross sections of wood 
fibre.” These new forms are nearly all hexagonal, though by 
no means regular hexagons. Founded on this and upon other 
considerations—such as the natural tendency of bees to build 
cylindrical cells when working with an excess of material—Mr. 
Todd informs us that “‘ Herr K. Mullenhoff has found a quite 
simple and satisfactory solution of the question” (the form of 
the hive bee’s cells), ‘which neither admits of any mysterious 
instinct, nor, on the other hand, credits the bee with the 
knowledge of the differential calculus.” He argues that the 
bees are in some way forced to build the foundation of the 
cells and the side walls of the hexagons, in consequence of the 
position they assume when beginning to build, and in conse- 
quence of the natural tendency of the soft wax to take form in 
accordance “‘ with the laws which Plateau has discovered for 
his equilibrium figures.” Mr. Todd considers this solution 
very satisfactory, as “not a few writers, even to the present 
day, maintain that we have here a typical case of ‘ instinct,’ in 
the old acceptation of the word ; that is, of blind, unconscious, 
untaught action, producing results which men can only reach 
by dint of highly cultivated reason.” The line of reasoning 
intended to confound those old-fashioned writers is scarcely a 
convincing one. Somehow, between the bee and the wax, the 
comb receives the form we admire and find to be the best. If 
the result can be proved to be partly owing to the wax being 
affected by a law of nature, which Plateau has been so fortunate 
as to discover, then it only demonstrates the truth that inert 
matter, as well as the living organism, exhibits a “blind, 
unconscious, untaught action,” leading to some end intended 
by the Giver of that law. It would be equally silly to 
attribute to the bee, as to the wax, a knowledge of the differen- 
tial calculus, and therefore we are thrown back upon the 
quality of instinct, which is admirably defined by the words 
quoted above. 
