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powers are the weakest as to the number of offspring, and whose maternal 

 instincts are the strongest, that is to say, the one that lays the fewest eggs 

 and takes the best care of her young, will best succeed. 



If any broods of young perish altogether from famine, it will be 

 those that are so numerous as entirely to overtax the powers of the 

 mother-bee in feeding them. Thus we gradually approach a time when 

 the care of the mother-bee extends to a period in the life of the offspring, 

 when they appreciate and respond to her affection. The offspring are 

 still numerous and the struggle for existence is severe. The food supply 

 is sufficient to bring the young to that point in existence when they are 

 capable of applying with some prospect of success the instinct, that is to 

 say, the congenital knowledge inherited from the mother. And as the 

 mother-bee continues after this period to help them in their struggle for 

 existence, they see and understand her assistance, and they neccessarily 

 respond to her affection. Here is definitely established filial love, in re- 

 sponse to maternal affection and it is necessary that this filial love should 

 be established in strength even in this little insect, before it is possible 

 that the specialization under consideration shall commence. It must 

 not be supposed that the size of these tiny creatures renders them incap 

 able of this strong feeling, — we must in this respect as in others go by 

 the evidence of our senses and the necessities of the case. Without strong 

 affection the whole life of these bees is quite inexplicable, while with it 

 their conduct is the natural outcome of a certain amount of intelligence 

 applied to certain conditions of existence. 



Among all creatures nursed with a mothers care, filial love grows 

 stronger and stronger, according to the capacity and circumstances of 

 the offspring and the strength of that affection which calls it forth. But 

 when the time for mating approaches the young seek other relationships 

 and so far as it is incompatible with these does filial love decay. 



But what happens if the young are by nature incapacitated for these 

 other relationships? 



Then filial love necessarily grows with the individual and strengthens 

 with her strength. 



The mating instinct may be almost or wholly lacking; and if wholly 

 lacking, then all of that part of the highly nervous organization, inherited 

 from the mother that is devoted to the affections, will have no other out- 

 let than in filial love. 



The common life around us, and man himself will perhaps afford 

 us some partial illustrations of this necessary law. The best illustration 

 outside of the insect world is one of which the facts may be easily ascer- 

 tained by any person who will make the inquiry. 



