S92 THE PHILOSOPHY 



this period arrives. "Whenever a ftranger bee enters a hive, 

 his temerity is uniformly puniflied with death. But mortal 

 combats are not unfrequent between bees belonging to the 

 fame hive. Thefe combats are mofh frequent in clear and 

 warm weather. Sometimes two combatants come out of the 

 hive clofely faftened to each other. At other times the at- 

 tack is made in the air. But, in whatever way the battle be- 

 gins, 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 wreftler, en- 

 deavours to gain the moft advantageous pofition for flinging 

 his adverfary to death. Sometimes, though rarely, the fting 

 is left in the wound. If this were generally the cafe, every 

 combat would prove fatal to two bees ; for the vidlor could 

 not long furvive the lofs of his fting. Thefe battles fome- 

 times continue near an hour before one of the flies is left ex- 

 piring on the ground. 



Befide thefe fingle combats, general a(Si:ions are not unfre-; 

 quent, efpecially in the fwarming feafon. When two fwarms, 

 or colonies, happen to contend for the fame habitation, a 

 general and bloody engagement immediately enfues. Thefe 

 engagements often continue for hours, and never terminate 

 without great havock on both fides. The fting is not the 

 only weapon employed in war by bees. They are furnifhed 

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

 each other. Even in general engagements, all the combats 

 are fingle. But, when the great flaughter of the males is 

 committing, three or four neuters are not aftiamed to attack 

 a fingle fly. 



Every wafp's neft, about the beginning of October, exhib- 

 its a fmgular and a cruel fcene. At this feafon, the wafps 

 ceafe to bring nourifliment to their young. From afFe<Slion- 

 ate mothers or nurfes, they at once become barbarous ftep- 

 mothers. They are worfe j for they drag the young worms 

 from their cells, and carry them out of the neft. Being thus 



