Oct. 1, 1911 



DO BEES REASON ? 



Some Interesting Incidents that Apparently Sup- 

 port the View that they do. 



BY D. M. MACDONALD. 



We talk glibly of the instinct of insects, 

 and ascribe many of the marvels of the hive 

 to a series of unknown faculties implanted 

 in the bee from the beginning of time. It 

 is an instinct in the bee to gather honey, to 

 feed the larvue, to cluster closely in cool 

 weather, and, more closely still, in seasons 

 of excessive cold. But there are many enig- 

 mas about the hive which dig down deeper 

 than such superficial instincts; for bees fre- 

 quently seem to reason out a point, and ap- 

 pear, after due deliberation, to come to some 

 clearly defined resolution. 



It should not be asserted that, because bees 

 in general follow a species of blind instinct, 

 they can not,^ when; necessity arises, call 

 reason to their aid, for the latter faculty can 

 coexist with the former. They can act at 

 times independently of any past experience, 

 and progress step by step without having 

 the ultimate end in view. Certain actions 

 out of the usual routine, and which, so far 

 as we know, M^ere never before performed in 

 the long course of the ages, arise tending to 

 the well-being of the community, and per- 

 haps the existence of the colony; and the 

 workers rise to the occasion, and not only 

 outline a plan but carry it out by regular 

 gradations to a successful consummation. 

 Here is surely something a step ahead of 

 mere instinct. 



A friend last season sent me a hive of bees; 

 but the combs were insecurely wired, and 

 so some of them broke down. On the jour- 

 ney, one of the combs, too recently built to 

 travel safely, fell in a heap on the floor. The 

 bees, even in their excited state, proceeded 

 to stay the partly broken combs, and to but- 

 tress the inirts leaning to one side, while 

 they constructed supports from the masses 

 on the lioor. Every stay, support, pillar, 

 column, and buttress differed from every 

 other in length, breadth, thickness, and 

 general shai:)e, but each one seemed to me 

 to be admirably adapted as a means to the 

 end in view. The whole appeared to be con- 

 structed on a systematic plan; and the les- 

 son taught me was that there was something 

 more in the wise little heads than simple 

 instinct. 



On arrival I ])roceeded to make the best I 

 ■could of the catastrophe, and demolished a 

 good part of their edifice — I confess I did so 

 with some regret. Then T taped all the best 

 combs in the frame. Instinct taught the 

 bees that it was advisable to join on the 

 semi-detached parts of the combs to the fix- 

 «d parts, and this they performed with won- 

 derful precision and no little skill. The 

 work went on for about two days, during 

 which the tapes were left in position; but 

 after, when the workers had reasoned it out 

 that the fabric would bear the strain with- 

 out extraneous aid, they cut them asunder 



587 



and laboriously carried them outside the 

 hive, reason apparently teaching them that 

 they were unnecessary now. 



A comb in an observatory hive gave way 

 partially, and part of the top leaned out- 

 ward. Instinct taught the bees to fix it to 

 the nearest stable support, which they ac- 

 cordingly proceeded to do; but gradually it 

 seemed to dawn on the intellect of a few of 

 the workers that no secure hold could be ob- 

 tained on the glass, and some prospectors 

 proceeded to investigate the surroundings. 

 Not for some time did the others desist in 

 their attempt to carry out the original plan, 

 but at last they did. The whole as,;iemblage 

 then had what looked like a good long " bee 

 talk," during which some scouts visited the 

 point from which the comb had broken 

 away, and it looked as if they even came 

 back and reported. At last a large body of 

 workers started to construct pillars rising 

 from the comb to the roof. Dissatisfied with 

 this, after expending a considerable amount 

 of labor on the scheme, the bulk of the work- 

 ers started from the top and worked down- 

 ward until they completed a firm stay. The 

 whole proceedings from first to last appeared 

 to be carried on along reasoned lines thus far. 

 But there was still a further instance of rea- 

 soning powers shown. The part of the comb 

 leaning over seemed to be an inconvenience 

 or obstruction to traffic, and the bees set 

 patiently to nibbling it away. 



If bees send out scouts at swarming time 

 to spy out the land and investigate as to the 

 best and most favorable spot for the swarm 

 to settle, they must have some amount, at 

 least, of reasoning powers to enable them to 

 search out the adjoining country, to decide 

 on a suitable spot, to return to their com- 

 panions and report the results of their in- 

 vestigation. Some information must be 

 supplied on their return, acquainting the 

 bees of the swarm as to which of several 

 places examined is considered the best for 

 the proposed dwelling, and this decision 

 must be arrived at by comparative estimates. 

 Here we have the fruits of reason producing 

 certain results. Then when the throng rises 

 almost instantaneously, some reason must 

 guide them direct to the jwint agreed upon, 

 which may be miles away from the old 

 home. 



These points are all most interesting, and 

 a somewhat analagous case is the return of 

 laden bees to a hive with stolen or newly dis- 

 covered sweets. By speech, or some sense 

 not gifted to man, other bees are informed 

 where this source of supply lies, and many 

 members of the sisterhood are led straight 

 to the point of attraction, where they load 

 up, return to the hive, and acquaint other 

 members of the fraternity with the existence 

 of the little eldorado which has been opened 

 up for their benefit. 



Huber, I think it is, describes how he plac- 

 ed an insecurely fixed piece of a comb con- 

 taining about a dozen cells, tenanted by liv- 

 ing larvse, along with a number of workers. 

 These bumble-bees instinctively, no doubt] 

 tried to mount the comb to nourish their 



