Chapter XIII. 



WARS OF INSECT COMMUNITIES. 



When the population of a rookery resolve to feast 

 in security upon the helpless cockchafer grubs of a 

 particular field, they have always a sentinel rook 

 posted on some adjacent tree, who may give timely 

 intimation of any threatening danger; but whether 

 this watch-bird is elected by vote, or whether the 

 office is held in rotation by tacit consent of the whole 

 colony, we have no means of ascertaining. Their 

 sociality, however, approaches much nearer the prin- 

 ciples of human policy, than the instinct displayed by 

 the chance crowds of blow-flies collecting round a 

 carcass, or of frogs in a pond, which manifest not, at 

 least to our observation, any bond whatever of social 

 union. In some of the circumstances which we have 

 now to mention, the uniting together to perform one 

 common object is much more distinct and obvious; 

 and, in the case of some of the European ants, leads 

 to consequences more calculated perhaps to excite 

 wonder, than any other circumstance connected wilh 

 insect history. Before coming to this peculiarity of 

 the ants, however, we shall take brief notice of what 

 may justly be termed wars, both offensive and defen- 

 sive, among other families of social insects. 



bees and wasps. 



The singular wars of bees were observed by the most 

 ancient naturalists, and are recorded by Aristotle,* 

 Virgil, and Pliny. ' If it happens,' says the latter^ 

 * that the meat in one hive be spent, the bees belonging 



* Hist. Anim. ix, 25. 



