HOSTILITIES OF ANIMALS. 



Both are equally produced by the same mother, and live in 

 the same family. But, notwithstanding their temporary affec- 

 tion, there are times when the neuters cruelly massacre the 

 males. Among the laws of polished republics, we find some 

 which are extremely barbarous. The Lacedemonians were 

 allowed to kill such of their children as were produced in a 

 defective or maimed state, because they would become a bur- 

 den upon the community. The laws of the Chinese permit 

 actions equally inhuman. We perhaps know not all the rea- 

 sons why the neuter bees treat the males with so much cruelty. 

 There is a time, however, when the males become perfectly 

 useless to the community ; and it is not incurious to remark 

 that the general massacre never commences till this period 

 arrives. Whenever a stranger bee enters a hive, his temerity 

 is uniformly punished with death. But mortal combats are 

 not unfrequent between bees belonging to the same hive. 

 These combats are most frequent in clear and warm weather. 

 Sometimes two combatants come out of the hive closely fast- 

 ened to each other. At other times the attack is made in the 

 air. But in whatever way the battle begins, both combatants 

 uniformly come to the ground before it is terminated by the 

 death of one of the parties. When they reach the ground, 

 each individual, like a wrestler, endeavors to* ain the most 

 advantageous position for stinging his adversary to death. 

 Sometimes, though rarely, the sting is left in the wound. If 

 this were generally the case, every combat would prove fatal 

 to two bees ; for the victor could not long survive the loss of 

 his sting. These battles sometimes continue near an hour 

 before one of the flies is left expiring on the ground. 



Beside these single combats, general actions are not unfre- 

 quent, especially in the swarming season. When two swarms, 

 or colonies, happen to contend for the same habitation, a gen- 

 eral and bloody engagement immediately ensues. These 

 engagements often continue for hours, and never terminate 

 without great havoc on both sides. The sting is not the 

 only weapon employed in war by bees. They are furnished 

 with two strong fangs or teeth, with which they cruelly tear 

 each other. Even in general engagements, all the combats 

 are single. But when the great slaughter of the males is 

 committing, three or four neuters are not ashamed to attack a 

 single fly. 



Every wasp's nest, about the beginning of October, exhibits 

 a singular and a cruel scene. At this season, the wasps cease 

 to bring nourishment to their young. From affectionate moth- 



