172 Chapter IV. 



intelligence" and "animal ethics" is hopelessly 

 involved. 



The nursing instinct of ants with all its "devoted- 

 ness and unselfishness," is therefore nothing else than 

 a purely instinctive impulse guided and determined 

 in its operations only by sensitive impressions and not 

 by intellectual concepts. Under normal circumstances 

 this instinctive impulse is appropriately regulated, and 

 manifests itself as the product of "self-sacrificing 

 sisterly love." But, if the abnormal irritation of the 

 nervous system of the ants, caused by parthenogenesis, 

 has disturbed the normal sphere of sensitive impres- 

 sions, then sisterly love is not changed into motherly 

 love, but into "barbarous, unfeeling cannibalism" ! 



Modern animal psychology evidently toys in a 

 rather frivolous manner with the term "motherly 

 love," by applying it to the nursing instincts found 

 among animals. Nor can the plea be advanced, that 

 with higher animals matters are quite different than 

 with ants; for, we have proved above, that the nurs- 

 ing instincts of ants far surpass in perfection those of 

 birds and mammals, not only by their quasi-intelligent 

 self-determination in the method of education, but 

 also by the great unselfishness manifested in nourish- 

 ing and defending their young. If there should be 

 any difference at all, it is in this, that in the care of 

 their offspring the higher animals betray far less 

 "intelligence" and far less "individual liberty," than 

 is found in ants. Moreover, it is a well-known fact, 

 that domestic pigs not seldom devour some of their 

 litter ; yet pigs are "higher animals." In such cases, 

 however, the sow sins as little against good morals, 



