My dear Darwin

Do you see the Zoologist?—in the last part in the proceed^g part is printed my few observations on Bees’ cells.¹ I have just seen that M^r. Tegetmeier gave an account of some experiments made by him “with the view of ascertaining whether the cells of the Hive-bee were formed hexagonally, or whether such form was the result of lateral pressure”—² D^r. Gray contended that the lateral pressure theory was the true one. M^r. Smith didn’t believe it³—he had failed in producing hexagons out of cylinders formed of paper pasted together &c!! That a reasoning being should go to work to make experiments to ascertain such a fact, is rather strange to me, & that, with his experiment he should arrive at the wrong conclusion is not strange— Smith then goes into the subject of the wasp’s nest, & what is rather remarkable he makes no mention whatever of my remarks on the same subject, although I have repeatedly explained my views to him & he was present at the society when they were made, & moreover he has them in print—⁴ I don’t think he quite understands what we are about!—

Lastly I wish to ask you whether you are aware that Lord Brougham has communicated a paper on The Structure of Bees’ cells to the French academy, with the view, as I learn, of showing what errors Naturalists & Mathematicians have fallen into with regard to this subject—⁵ I shall be curious to see the paper! I am also anxious to hear what your views are coming to—

I have just come back from Germany having been sent to Stuttgart by the Museum authorities to examine & report upon, a collection of Fossils offered to us—⁶ as a considerable portion of the collection, however, was at Stockach a small village near Lake Constance⁷ I had to extend my journey to the extreme South of Germany & had two voyages on the Beautiful Lake Constance at which I was immensely delighted— on my way home I thought I would do a little travelling on my own account, so when I got back as far as Frankfort I started off to Berlin, and there I remained 4 or 5 days— from Berlin I came straight home without stopping (excepting 4 hours or so at Ostend because the wind was blowing great guns & the vessel didn’t like to put to sea—we had a bit of a splash when we did) left Berlin on Saturday Evening at 6$\frac{1}{2}$, arrived in London early on Monday morning & that’s pretty quick work—

I should be glad to hear that you are better than when I last saw you

faithfully Yours | Geo. R. Waterhouse

P.S. I do not know exactly how Tegetmeier performed his experiments—he offered to make an experiment for me, but it does not appear that he has done what I wanted, viz to give the Bees a mass of wax to work in & to stick little wooden pegs in it so near together that 2 bees could not work together in the interspaces—