PHILOSOPHY OF LOVE 



more economic distribution of the sexes. If antelopes 

 perpetuate themselves very well with one male to an 

 hundred females, is it not an indication that a part at 

 least of the sacrificed males might have dispensed with 

 being born? And would it not be better, in the interest 

 of the antelopes, that a part of these males, if they ought 

 to continue to be born, should be normally sexless, as 

 with termites, and entrusted with some social duty? 



The organization of termites is very pretty; it will 

 do to finish off this brief review of animal societies 

 founded on the unsexing of sexes. One has already 

 noted, in the chapters on dimorphism, the diversity of 

 sexual forms, corresponding to four quite distinct castes. 

 The minute examination of one of their republics per- 

 mits one to assert differentiations much more numerous, 

 for each of the principal castes passes through active 

 larval and nymphal forms, adolescent forms, such as 

 most neuroptera and libellules also present. In taking 

 count of all the nuances one may observe in a state 

 (to use the familiar word) of termites fifteen different 

 forms, all with marked characteristics. The principal 

 are: i. Workers, 2. Soldiers, 3. Small males, 4. Small 

 females, 5. Large males, 6. Large females, 7. Nymphs 

 with little cases, 8. Nymphs with long cases, 9. Larvae. 

 When one attacks an ant hill, the soldiers arrive at the 

 breach, very threatening, odd, with their bodies all head, 

 all mandibles. The enemy routed, the workers come to 

 repair the damage. There are sometimes several female 

 egg-layers; sometimes there is only one male: copula- 

 tion always takes place outside the hill, and as with ants, 

 the males perish, while the fecundated females become 

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