My life : a record of events and opinions - Wallace-online.org

"388 MY LIFEupper rows of cells have to support at least ten timesas much weight as the lowest rows. But there is nocorresponding difference in the thickness of the wallsof the cells ; so that, as the upper rows are strongenough, the lower must be quite unnecessarily strong,and there is thus a great waste of wax. The wholeconception of a supernatural faculty for the purposeof economizing wax is thus shown to be fallacious.Darwin's explanation entirely obviates this difficulty,since it depends on the bees possessing intelligenceenough to reduce all the cellwalls to a nearly uniformthickness, being that which is sufficient under allcircumstances to support the weight of the wholemass of comb and honey.In an article on " The Problem of Instinct " in my" Studies " (vol. i. chap, xxii.), I have supplementedtheory as to zvhy birds migrate, by anotherthe usualas to how they migrate, and trace it wholly to experience,the young birds following the old ones ; but anenormous proportion of the young fail to make theoutward or the homeward journey safely.In 1894 I wrote an article for the NineteenthCentury on the question of the proper observance ofSunday, which I have reprinted in my " Studiesunder the title, " A Counsel of Perfection for Sabbatarians."In this short article I define clearly, Ithink for the first time, what the " work " so strictlyand impressively forbidden really is, and then showhow utterly inconsistent are the great majority ofSabbatarians, who themselves break the commandmentboth in letter and spirit, while they loudlycondemn others for acts which are not forbidden byit. I also show how the commandment can be andshould be strictly kept by all who believe it to be aDivine command, and point out the good results