1863_Wallace_Remarks on the Rev. S. Haughton's Paper on the Bee's Cell, And on the Origin of Species

8/12/2019 1863_Wallace_Remarks on the Rev. S. Haughton's Paper on the Bee's Cell, And on the Origin of Species

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This article was downloaded by: [89.42.16.136]On: 30 August 2013, At: 05:22Publisher: Taylor & FrancisInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number:1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street,London W1T 3JH, UK

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XXX.Remarks on the Rev.

S. Haughton's paper on

the bee's cell, and on the

origin of speciesAlfred R. Wallace

Published online: 03 Jan 2011.

To cite this article:Alfred R. Wallace (1863) XXX.Remarks on the Rev. S.

Haughton's paper on the bee's cell, and on the origin of species , Journal of

Natural History Series 3, 12:70, 303-309

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00222936308681523

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M r . A '. R . W a l l a c e on the B ee s Cell. 3 0 3seems to be long ; the Acer ampelophyllum, a s to t h e t r u e n a t u r eo f wh i c h t h e r e is s t il l m u c h d o u b t , e s p ec i a ll y i n t h e a b s e n c e o fi t s f ru i t , wo u l d t a k e i t s p la c e, j u d g i n g f r o m i t s l e af , a m o n g t h esm al les t species o f the genu s .T h u s t h er e w o u l d r e m a i n o n l y Ulmus plurinervia , t h e l e a f o fw hich i s o f to le rab le s ize, an d wh ich , even w i tho u t th i s ind ica -t i o n , m i g h t h a v e c o n s t i t u t e d a n a c t u a l t r ee . F o r t h i s , i t s p r o -.bab ly d i s ta n t s t a t ion m ay suf f ic ien t ly exp la in th e ra r i ty o f i t sImpress ions .T o s u m u p , - - i n s p i te o f o b s c u ri ti e s wh i c h i t i s im p o s s i b lee n t i r e l y t o e l u c id a t e , i t i s c e r t a in t h a t n e a r l y t h e wh o l e o f t h eorgan i sms wi th dec iduous l eaves in the f lo ra o f Aix ind ica tel i m i t e d d im e n s i o n s , d e n o t i n g m e r e s h r u b s ; a n d i f t h e r e we r et r ee s a m o n g t h e m , t h i s d e n o m i n a t i o n c o u l d o n l y b e a p p l i e d t othe smal les t number , and , so to speak , to a s ing le spec ies .W e t e r m i n a t e t h e s e c o n s i d e ra t io n s , wh i c h h a v e b e e n p e r h a p st r e a t e d a t r a t h e r t o o g r e a t a l e n g t h , b u t i n wh i c h t h e n o v e l t y o ft h e s u b j e c t n e c e s si t a te d m o r e d e v e l o p m e n t t h a n i n o r d i n a r yc as es , b y f o r m u l a t i n g o u r c o n c l u s io n s a s f o ll o ws : - - I n a c c o rd a n c ewi t h a l l t h e i n d i c a ti o n s , i t i s e x tr e m e l y p r o b a b l e t h a t t h e p l a n t sw i th d ec iduous l eaves o f the f lo ra o f A , ix on ly p lay ed in i t as e c o n d a r y p a r t ; a n d i f th e i r i m p r e s si o n s a re v e r y r a r e i n t h ebeds fo rmed a t tha t epoch , the i r s t a t ion a t a l i t t l e d i s t ance f romthe anc ien t shores, the i r d i s t r ibu t ion as iso la ted ind iv idua l s , an dt h e s m a l l s iz e o f m o s t o f t h e m h a v e c o n c u r r e d to p r o d u c e t h a tresu l t . W e a f fi rm, l a s t ly , th a t the pe r iod ica l f a l l o f the leavesin the se species, f a r f rom im ply ing the ex i s tence o f a co ld season ,i s a p h e n o m e n o n v e r y r e co n c il ab l e wi t h t h e h i g h t e m p e r a t u r ew h i c h i s i n d i c a te d b y t h e p r o f u s io n o f t r o p i c a l f o r m s i n t h ef lo r a o f t h e G y p s u m o f A i x .

X X X . - - R e m a r k s o n th e R e v . S . H a u g h to n s P a p e r o n th e B e e sCell, and on the Origin of Species. B y A L v a m ) R . W AL LAC e.MY a t t e n t i o n h a s b e e n c a ll e d t o t h e p a p e r i n t h e ' A n n a l s ' f o rJ u n e l a s t o n t h e a b o v e s u b j e c t s , t h e a u t h o r o f wh i c h s e e m s t om e to ha v e q u i te m i s u n d e r s t o o d a n d m u c h m i s r e p re s e n te d t h ef a c ts a n d r e a s o n i n g s o f M r . Da r w i n o n t h e q u e s t i o n . As so m eo f y o u r r e a d er s m a y c o n c l u d e , i f i t re m a i n s u n a n s w e r e d , t h a t i ti s the re fo re unansw erab le , I a sk pe rm iss ion to m ake a few re -m a r k s o n wh a t s e em t o m e i ts c h i e f e r ro r s .M r . H a u g h t o n c o m b a t s t h e v ie ws n o t o n l y o f t h o s e w h o b elie vet h a t t h e r e g u l a r s t r u c t u r e o f t h e B e e ' s c o m b c a n b e a c c o u n t e df o r t h r o u g h t h e a g e n c y o f n a t u r a l s e l e ct io n J ' a n d v a r ia t io n ,b u t a ls o o f t h e o p p o s i te s c h oo l , wh o i m p u t e t o t h e B e e a s u p e r -

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8 ~ M r . A . R . W a l la c e on t ]w Bee ' s C e l l ,n a t u r a l o r d i v i n e ly i n s p i re d i n s t i n c t , b y wh i c h i t i s e n a b l e d t oc o n s t r u c t i t s ce lls o n t r u e m e c h a n i c a l a n d m a t h e m a t i c a l p r i n c i -p l e s , s o a s t o c o m b i n e t h e r e q u i s i t e a c c o m m o d a t i o n f o r r e a r i n gi t s b r oo d a n d s to r i n g it s h o n e y , w i t h t h e g r e a t e s t a m o u n t o fs t r e n g t h a n d t h e u t m o s t e c o n o m y o f m a t e ri al . I n h is o p i n io no f t h i s l a s t sc h o o l I q u i t e a g r e e wi t h h i m , b u t t h i n k h e h a s n o tpo in ted ou t i t s weak es t po in t s . I f we cons ide r the cell a sa d a p t e d t o t h e s iz e o f t h e g r u b a n d y o u n g b ee ~ a n d i n i t s r e -l a t i o n s t o t h e c e l l s i m m e d i a t e l y s u r r o u n d i n g i t , t h e r e c a n b en o d o u b t t h a t t h e f o r m o f t h e c el l i ts e lf , w i t h i t s p y r a m i d a lb a s e a n d a r r a n g e m e n t i n d o u b l e t i e rs , g i v e s t h e g r e a t e s t e c o -n o m y o f s p ac e a n d m a t e r i a l p o s si b le . B u t i f we lo o k a t t h ewhole comb suspe nded ve r t i ca lly by i t s upp er s ide on ly , we sha l li m m e d i a t e l y p e rc e iv e t h a t t h e s t r a in u p o n i t s u p p e r m o s t r o ws o fc e ll s is m a n y t i m e s g r e a t e r t h a n t h a t u p o n i t s lo we r o n e s ; s ot h a t , i f e c o n o m y o f m a t e r ia l w a s t h e m a i n o b je c t o f t h i s b e a u t i f u ls t r u c t u r e , a n d t h e a t t a i n m e n t o f s u c h e c o n o m y wa s s e c u re d b yun er r in g wisdom , the wa lls o f the ce l ls sh ou ld regu la r ly dec reasem t h i c k n e s s fr o m t h e u p p e r t o t h e lo we r p a r t o f t h e c o m b . T h es a m e m a t h e m a t i c a l k n o wl e d g e t h a t e n a b l e s u s t o s e e t h e b e a u t ya n d e c o n o m y o f t h e f o rm o f t h e i n d i v i d u a l c el ls , a s s u r e l y p o i n t so u t t h e g r e a t wa s t e o f m a t e r i a l i n b u i l d i n g t h e u p p e r a n d l o we rp o r t io n s o f t h e c om b o f t h e s a m e t h i c k n e s s a n d s t r e n g t h . W eh a v e h e re , I t h i n k , a c o n c lu s iv e a r g u m e n t a g a i n s t t h e n o t i o nt h a t t h e b e e s a r e g u i d e d b y a n y s u p e r n a t u r a l i m p u l s e to c o n -s t ruc t the i r ce l ls on th e bes t m a them at ica l p r inc ip les , so as toeconomize , in the h ighes t degree , l abour , space , and mate r ia l .W h e n M r . H a u g h t o n a t t e m p t s t o o v e r th r o w t h e th e o r y o f M r .Da r wi n o n th i s s u b j e ct , we a r e c o m p e l l e d t o d e m u r t o m a n y o fh i s s t a teme nts , w hich , indeed , a re o f ten so de f ic ien t in c lea rnessa s t o s u g g e s t t h e i d e a t h a t ' T h e O r i g i n o f S p e c i e s ' h a s b e e nbu t super f ic ia lly s tud ied by h im. In h i s f i r s t pa rag raph , fo rexample , he speaks o f a c lass o f w r i t e r s by w hom t h e geo-m etr ica l proper t ies o f th e ce lls are a l lege d as a suff ic ient causef o r t h e p r o d u c t i o n o f t h e i n se c ts t h a t m a k e t h e m , f r o m th e a d -van tage which these fo rms o f ce l l s a re supposed to possess overo t h e r f o r m s - - a d v a n t a g e s s ai d t o b e s o i m p o r t a n t a s t o d e c id et h e b a t t l e o f l i f e i n f a v o u r o f t h e i n s e c t s t h a t a d o p t t h e g e o -m e t r ic a l p l a n o f m a k i n g t h e i r c e i l s . T h i s i s s u r e l y a m o s tu n f a i r s t a t e m e n t o f t h e d o c t ri n e t h a t s i m u l t a n e o u s f a v o u r a b lev a r ia t io n s in s t r u c t u r e a n d h a b i t s, a c c u m u l a t e d b y n a t u r a l s ele c-t io n , m a y a c t a n d r e ac t on e ac h o t he r , an d t h u s u l t i m a t e l y l e a dt o su c h a m o d i f ic a t io n o f t h e i n s e ct a s m a y b e t t e r a d a p t it fo rc o n s t r u c t i n g t h e m o s t a d v a n t a g e o u s f o r m o f c ell. M r . H a u g h -t o n ' s s t a t e m e n t o f t h e e a se i s, t h a t t h e c e ll m a d e b y t h e be e i sa su f fi c ien t cause fo r the p rodu c t ion o f the be e ; and he w ould

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and on the Orig in o f Species . 80 7S o m e o f th e s e s te p s d o a c tu a l l y o c c u r i n t h e Mel ipona domes t i caa n d o th e r b e e s ; a n d t h e i m m e n s e q u a n t it y of h o n e y c o n s u m e db y t h e h iv e- b ee t o m a k e a s m a l l q u a n t i t y o f w a x , a s w e l l a s i t sc u r io u s h a b i t o f c u t t i n g d o w n th e w a l ls o f i t s c e il s t o a u n i f o r mth i ck n e s s , a re c e r t a i n ly v e r y s t r o n g a r g u m e n t s i n f a v o u r o f t h i sviewE x a c t l y t h e s a m e a r g u m e n t s w i l l a p p ly t o t h e o r i g in , s te p b ys t ep , o f t h e l o z e n g e - f o r m e d p l a n e s f o r m in g t h e p y r a m id a l b a s eof the cell a s to the h exag ona l fo rm of i t s w a l l ; fo r these p lanesa r e t h e s im p le r e s u l t o f g n a w in g a w a y t h e s u p e r fl u o u s w a x i nth e a n g l e s b e tw e e n t h e a l t e r n a t e s p h e r i c a l b a s e s o f t h e o p p o s i t el a y e r o f c e ll s ; a n d w h e n t h i s w a x is s o m u c h g n a w e d a w a y a s t oreduce a l l the wa l l s o f the ce l l s to an equa l th ickness , the t ruegeom et r ica l f igure wh ich we see is the necessa ry resu l t . (Or ig inof Spec ies, p . 247 . ) I t i s ev iden t , the re fo re , th a t a l l the m inu tec a l c u l a t i o n s o f g e o m e te r s r e s p e c t i n g t h e a m o u n t o f s a v in g i nth i s p y r a m id a l b a s e o v e r a f i a t base to the ce l l i s a l toge the r be -s ide the ques t ion , because a f l a t base cou ld no t a r i se ou t o fspher ica l a l t e rna te bases in con tac t , by any such s imple succes -s ive s teps as a re shown to resu l t in the ex i s t ing fo rm.O n t h e q u e s ti o n o f t h e o r i g i n o f s p e c ie s M r . H a u g h t o ne n l a r g e s c o n s id e r a b ly i b u t h i s c h i e f a r g u m e n t s a r e r e d u c e d t ot h e s e t ti n g - u p o f t h r e e u n w a r r a n t a b l e a s s u m p t i o n s , w h i c h h ei m p u t e s t o t h e L a m a r c k i a n s a n d D a r w i n i a n s, a n d t h e n , t o u s eh is own words , b r i n g s t o t h e g r o u n d l i k e a c h i l d ' s h o u s e o fc a r d s . T h e f i rs t o f t h e s e i s the indef in i te varia t ion o f speciescontinuously in the one d irec t ion . N o w th i s is c e r t a i n ly n ev e ra s s u m e d b y M r . D a r w i n , w h o s e a r g u m e n t is m a i n l y g r o u n d e do n t h e f a c t t h a t v a r ia t io n s o c c u r i n every direction. This is soo b v io u s t h a t i t h a r d ly n e e d s i n s i s t in g o n . I n e v e r y l a r g e f a m i lyth e r e i s a lm o s t a lw a y s o n e c h i ld t a ll e r, o n e d a r k e r , o n e t h in n e rth an the res t ; one w i ll have a l a rge r nose , ano th er a l a rge r eye :th ey va ry mo ra l ly as we l l ; some a re more poe t ica l, o the rs m orem o r o s e ; o n e h a s a g e n iu s f o r n u m b e r s , a n o th e r f o r p a in ti n g .I t i s th e s a m e i n a n im a l s : t h e p u p p i e s , o r k i t t e n s , o r ra b b i t s o fo n e l i t t e r di ff e r i n m a n y w a y s f ro m e a c h o th e r - - i n c o lo u r , i ns i z e , i n d i s p o s i t i o n ; s o t h a t , t h o u g h t h e y d o n o t v a r y c o n -t inuously in one d irec t ion , t h e y d o v a r y c o n t i n u o u s l y i n m a n ydi rec t ions ; an d thus the r e i s a lways ma te r ia l fo r na tu ra l se lec-t i o n t o a c t u p o n i n some d i r e c t i o n t h a t m a y b e a d v a n t a g e o u s .I n h is r e m a r k s u p o n th i s u n w a r r a n t a b l e a s s u m p t i o n( w h ic h i s a l t o g e th e r h i s o w n ) , Mr . H a u g h to n h a s t h e f o l l o w in gpassage : - - I n t h e w r i t i n g s o f D a r w in th e r e i s t h i s s i n g u l a r i n -c o n s i s te n c y , t h a t , w h i l e h e s h o w s t h e u tm o s t e ff e ct s o f h u m a nb r e e d in g o n d o m e s t i c a n im a l s t o b e c a p ab l e o f p r o d u c t i o n i n t e nor tw en ty yea rs , he den ies the r ig h t o f h i s adversa r ies to appea l

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P ro f . G . Gu l l iv e r on the Tissue-cells o f t t y r n e n o p h y l l u m . B 0 9in c o n c lu s io n , q u o te f ro m i t a sh o r t p a r a g ra p h wh ic h c o n ta in sa n i m p o r t a n t t r u t h , b u t w h i ch m a y v e ry f a i rl y b e a p p li e d i no t h e r q u a r t e r s t h a n t h o s e f o r w h i c h t h e a u t h o r i n t e n d e d i t : - -

' N o p ro g re s s i n n a tu r a l s c i e n c e i s p o s s ib l e a s l o n g a s me n wi l lt a k e t h e i r r u d e g u e s se s a t t r u t h f o r f a ct s, a n d s u b s t i t u t e t h ef a n c i e s o f t h e i r ima g in a t io n fo r t h e so b e r ru l e s o f r e a so n in g .

X X X I . - - O n the Tissue-cells o f the Involucres o f H y m e n o p h y l l u m .B y G E O a Q ~ G U L L I W a , P . R . S .S zN c~ t h e p u b l ic a t i o n , in t h e A u g u s t N u m b e r o f t h e ' A n n a l s , 'o f m y c o m p a r i so n o f t h e l e af - ce l ls o f t h e B r i t i sh sp e c ie s o fHy me n o p h y l lu m, w h i c h w a s d o n e f ro m p o o r s p e c i m e n s o f t h e s ep l a n ts , M r . F . C l ow e s h a s k i n d l y g i v e n m e s o m e b e t t e r - g r o w nl ea v e s o f t h e m ; a n d , a s h e m e n t i o n e d , I f in d t h a t t h e y w i llf r e sh e n in wa te r l i k e mo sse s. Ac c o rd in g ly , a f t e r t h e se d r ie df e r n s h a d b e e n p u t f o r a n h o u r o r t w o t h e r e i n , t h e c e ll s w e r e

-- " ~ [ I l t 7 T T I , iScale, ~-}~ths of an inch.Fig. 1. Tissue-cells of involucre of Hymenophyllum Tunbridgense.Fig. 2. Ditto of H. Wilson;.Fig. 3. Spo res of Hym enophyllum Tunbridgense.Fig. 4. Ditto of H. Wilson;.f o u n d as p e r f e c t a s i n t h e g r o w i n g p l a n ts ; a n d m a n y e x a m i n a -t i o n s c o n fi r m e d t h e a c c u r a c y o f t h e f a ct b e f o r e s t a t e d , t h a t t h eleaf-cel ls o f H . W i l so n ; a r c m o r e e l o n g a t e d a n d l a r g e r t h a n t h o s e

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1863_Wallace_Remarks on the Rev. S. Haughton's Paper on the Bee's Cell, And on the Origin of Species

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