THE NEW EVOLUTION 



young is found only in the social ants, bees and wasps, 

 and it is impossible not to see in this an important 

 and far-reaching correlation. It is impossible not to 

 believe that the serial family lies at the foundation of 

 the development of social systems, alike of men and 

 of the hymenopterous insects. It is impossible also 

 not to wonder what may be the cause of or reason for 

 the serial family. 



Seen from the point of view of predacious creatures, 

 a society composed of numerous individuals means 

 abundant food. So a society, either of social insects 

 or of man, must at all times be adequately defended. 

 Insect societies are defended by the use of formidable 

 and poisonous stings, acid-squirting apparatus, or 

 more rarely strong cutting jaws. Human societies 

 are defended by the use of man-made weapons, which 

 grow more and more effective with the increase in 

 size of the social units. 



It is commonly asserted that the mental reactions 

 of insects, birds and rodents are due to instinct and 

 not to intelligence as in the case of man, and therefore 

 that the mental attributes of the insects and of man 

 are in no way comparable. 



We marvel at the fact that every insect at birth and 

 at the commencement of every subsequent stage there- 

 after is endowed with a technical education which for 

 its particular needs is quite sufficient — indeed it is 

 complete. Very much the same is true of birds and 

 rodents, though they do not pass abruptly from one 

 stage to the next as do the insects. 



Instinct is defined as "a special innate propensity, 



