To W. H. Miller   31 December [1860]¹

My dear Miller—

How infinitely kind you have been to do the work so completely.² But I am in truth almost ashamed to think how much of your valuable time you have given to this work.—

At some future time when I give all my experiments on the combs, I shall give your results in rather fuller detail. Now, I will give on your authority only the general result.—³

From several circumstances (which I did not previously think of) the measurements at the upper thick end of the comb are, I think, most trustworthy; for the Bees might have failed in building from want of wax, & their combs were taken from Hives which naturally perished; or they might have subsequently gnawed away wax from the border-cells which they did not mean to fill with honey & I know they often economise every particle of wax.

I am extremely much pleased that I turn out not so grossly wrong, as I feared, for it has annoyed me more than you would suppose. My having been not grossly wrong has, however, evidently been mere chance.

My original rough measurements were made, I remember, in middle of a great piece of comb;⁴ & the two or three measurements made the other day & when I wrote to you, giving up the ghost, were made on border.

Again let me thank you most sincerely for your very great kindness, & believe | My dear Miller | Yours very truly | C. Darwin