AFFECTION OF INSECTS FOR THEIR YOUNG. 371 



M. P. Huber was more than once witness to this 

 proceeding. He saw one female stretch her wings with 

 a strong effort so as to bring them before her head— she 

 then crossed them in all directions — next she reversed 

 them alternately on each side — at last, in consequence 

 of some violent contortions, the four wings fell at the 

 same moment in his presence. Another j in addition to 

 these motions, used her legs to assist in the work^. 



Thus, from the very moment of the extrusion of the 

 egg to the maturity of the perfect insect, are the ants 

 unremittingly occupied in the care of the young of the 

 society, and that with an ardour of affectionate attach- 

 ment to which, when its intensity and duration are taken 

 into the account, we may fairly say there is nothing pa- 

 rallel in the whole animal world''. Amongst birds and 

 quadrupeds we have instances of affection as strong 

 perhaps while it lasts, but how much shorter the period 

 during w hich it is exerted ! In a month or two the 

 young of the former require no further attention ; and 

 if in a state of nature some of the latter give suck to 

 their offspring for a longer period, it is on their parts 

 without effort or labour : and in both cases the time 

 given up to their young forms a very small part of the 

 life of the animal. But the little insects in question 

 not only spend a greater portion of time in the educa- 

 tion of their progeny, but devote even the whole of 



* Huber, 109. — Gould bad long before Huber observed that female 

 ants cast their wings, pp. 59, 62, 64. I have frequently observed them, 

 sometimes with only one wing, at others with only fragments of the wings; 

 and again, at others they were so completely pulled off, that it could not 

 be known that they formerly had them, only by the sockets in which they 

 were inserted, '• Huber, 93, 



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