104 ECOLOGY Part II 



followers are dependent upon the leader, and the leader upon the followers in 

 a way which is not the case with the dominant animal or with the pseudo 

 leader which chance may place temporarily at the top. Interdependence be- 

 tween leader and followers is complete in the queen honeybee and the workers, 

 and is very marked in other social insects. Male bees are the least social mem- 

 bers of the hive. After the mating season, male deer separate from the rest of 

 the herd and forage for themselves. On the other hand, the females are accom- 

 panied by the young ones wherever they go. Many similar habits point to the 

 female as the deeply social influence in groups of animals. 



The Family. Both parents may take part in rearing the young. The male 

 water bug carries the eggs stuck to his back until they hatch; the male sea- 

 horse has a brood pouch where the female deposits the eggs which he carries 

 until the young ones swim out into open water; male birds usually take their 

 turn at bringing food to the nest (Fig. 6.9). In general, however, the mother 

 and young relations are more stable and intimate, more truly social. Mother 

 and young have a comparatively long association in widely different types of 

 animals. Female spiders carry nurseries of spiderlings on their backs; cray- 

 fishes and lobsters swim about for many weeks with eggs and then young ones 

 hanging on their swimmerets; for days the female robin keeps close company 

 with her young ones, showing them what it is to listen for earthworms and 

 how to tackle them. A great company of young mammals are carried or trail 

 beside their mothers, young kangaroos or joeys, skunklets, bear cubs, and 

 fawns. They explore the surroundings from their shelter of maternal care. 

 They imitate the turns of their parents and gradually take part in the customs 

 of their kind. They are products of family associations, mothers, and some 

 times both parents, and young. Thus the family constitutes one of the bases, 

 though not the only one, from which society has sprung. Competition and co- 

 operation exist in the family as they do in other groups. 



