420 ' THE PHILOSOPHY 



but that all their movements, their expreflions, their derires, 

 their arts, are folely the refults of mechanical impulfes. 

 The Count is peculiarly fevere in his declamations againft the 

 iagacity of the honey-bees, and the celebrators of their 

 oeconomy and manners. ' The genius of folitary bees,' he 

 remarks, ' is vaftly inferior to that of the gregariotis fpecies ; 

 and the talents of thofe which aiTociate in fmall troops 

 are lefs confpicuous than of thofe that affemble in nume- 

 rous bodies. Is not this alone fufficient to convince us, that 

 the fieming genius of bees is nothing but a refult oi pure me- 

 chaniftriy a combination of movements proportioned to num- 

 bers, an efFe6t which appears to be complicated, only be- 

 caufe it depends on thoufands of individuals ? It muft, 

 therefore^ be admitted, that bees, taken feparately, have lefs 

 genius than the dog, the monkey, and moft other animals : 

 It will likewife be admitted, that they have lefs docility, 

 lefs attachment, and l^fs fentiment ; and that they poffefs 

 fewer qualities relative to thofe of the human fpecies. 

 Hence we ought to acknowledge, that their apparent in- 

 telligence proceeds folely from the multitude utiited. This 

 union, however, prefuppofes not intelledlual powers ; for 

 they unite not from moral views : They find themfelves 

 together without their confent. This fociety, therefore, is 

 a phyfical aflemblage ordained by Nature, and has no de- 

 pendence on knowledge or reafoning. The mother bee 

 produces at one time, and in the fame place, ten thoufand 

 individuals, which, though they were much more ftupid 

 than I have fuppofed them, would be obliged, folely for the 

 prefervation of their exiftence, t® arrange themfelves into 

 fome order. As they all a(fi: againft each other with equal 

 forces, fuppofing their firft movements to produce pain, 

 they would foon learn to diminifh this pain, or, in other 

 ? words, to afford mutual affiftance : Thev, of courfe, would 



