INSTINCT AND FINAL TENDENCY. 19 



When the male-bees are about to leave the nest 

 they must necessarily pass the spot where our little 

 larva has patiently lurked, as it were, for six months. 

 It seems to have anticipated this fact, and when the bee 

 unsuspectingly approaches the entrance of the nest, 

 the larva vaults with the greatest ease on the bee's 

 back, and off it goes on an interesting journey through 

 the beautiful realm of new-born spring. But at 

 once it is confronted by a new difficulty; for it will 

 never succeed in finding an egg on the back of the 

 male-bee, especially as the latter never returns to the 

 nest. Yet our little rider knows very well what to do. 

 At the moment when the male-bee on his journey 

 meets the female, the larva swaps horses, and having 

 returned to the nest on the back of the female, slides 

 along the drawn out abdomen directly onto the first 

 egg she deposits in the carefully prepared cell. With 

 the usual signs of satisfaction, the bee then closes the 

 cell, in which the embryo bee and the bold intruder 

 have been immured, and the larva can now consume 

 the egg without fear of disturbance. Resting on the 

 floating island of "eggshells," it passes into the sec- 

 ond stage and then enjoys the sweet honey in per- 

 fect security from all danger for the following stages 

 of its extraordinary metamorphosis. 



Not less remarkable are those instinctive actions of 

 animals by which they provide for their defence and 

 propagation. But these actions must not be separated 

 from the circumstances which influence their perfor- 

 mance. Indeed, if these circumstances were always 

 taken into consideration, no one would dare affirm 

 that instinctive actions of animals are inappropriate in 



