Reflections upon Insect Psychology 



forceps, I deprive the Bee of her pellet of 

 mortar and apply It to the hole whence the 

 honey is escaping. My attempt at repairing 

 meets with the fullest success, though I do not 

 pretend to compete with the Mason In dex- 

 terity. For a piece of work done by a man's 

 hand It Is quite creditable. My dab of mor- 

 tar fits nicely Into the mutilated wall ; It hard- 

 ens as usual; and the escape of honey ceases. 

 This Is quite satisfactory. What would It be 

 had the work been done by the Insect, 

 equipped with Its tools of exquisite precision? 

 When the Mason-bee refrains, therefore, this 

 is not due to helplessness on her part, nor to 

 any defect In the material employed. 



Another objection presents Itself. We are 

 going too far perhaps In admitting this conca- 

 tenation of Ideas In the Insect's mind, In ex- 

 pecting It to argue that the honey Is running 

 away because the cell has a hole In It and that 

 to save It from being wasted the hole must be 

 stopped. So much logic perhaps exceeds the 

 powers of its poor little brain. Then, again, 

 the hole Is not seen; It Is hidden by the honey 

 trickling through. The cause of that stream 

 of honey is an unknown cause; and to trace 

 the loss of the liquid home to that cause, to 

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