18 
cause, of the various congregations of birds 
that we daily witness, and of the varying 
habits which they then exhibit—crows, e. g. 
herons, and many water birds, roosting and 
bringing forth their young in large irregular 
societies; the crows, besides, assembling at 
particular hours of the day, at all seasons ; 
some of the genus Parus, leptagagd the 
great and long-tailed titmouse, feeding in small 
flocks at all seasons ;—plovers and lapwings 
keeping separate during bs season of hatching 
and rearing their offspring, but assembling in 
flocks after their young have attained matu- 
rity ;—most of the birds of this country in the 
depth of winter associating in flocks much 
greater than can be necessary for the sake of 
warmth ;—the hen chaffinches, and perhaps the 
' females of other birds, congregating separately ; 
—many of these flocks consisting of multi- 
tudes moving quite irregularly, but all of them 
having apparently some means of intercom- 
munication or agreement;—some of them, as 
the starlings, performing very singular evo- 
lutions in concert; and many, as wild geese 
_ and other water-birds, always showing the dis- 
position to fly in regular lines. 
‘The greatest of all the congregations of birds 
are those of the migrating pigeons in America, 
described by Audubon, as forming clouds 
which pass over the whole extent of a town for 
several hours together, and as settling on ex- 
tensive districts of the woods in such multi- 
tudes as to cause much devastation among the 
branches. 
But the most extraordinary of all the asso- 
ciations of animals are those which have re- 
ceived the title of the perfect societies of in- 
sects,—the bees, wasps, hornets and ants in 
the order of Hymenoptera, and the white ants 
or termites, in that of Neuroptera. The most 
important facts as to them seem to have been 
ascertained, partly by numerous former ob- 
servers, but chiefly by the [lubers, Latreille, 
and others in the present age. 
The essential peculiarity of these associations 
of insects appears to be the complete sepa- 
ration of the males and females, on whom the 
propagation of the species depends, from the 
working members of the communities, by whom 
the habitations are constructed, and who pro- 
cure food both for the young and for the more 
perfect insects. In the case of the bees, the 
only prolific female is the queen-bee; the males 
are the drones; the working bees, constituting 
the mass of the community, are sterile females, 
and the larve and pupe are confined to the 
cells and helpless; the ants appear to differ 
from these only in the perfect females being 
much more numerous (only a few, however, 
being retained in each ant-hill); but the 
termites differ, in the larve and even the pupe 
being working members, the males and females, 
when brought to perfection, always wandering 
abroad, and one of each sex in the perfect 
state only existing in each nest, being in fact 
forcibly detained there. 
Among these animals there is also a separate 
class, believed to be analogous to the working 
bees, i. e. to be sterile females, larger than the 
INSTINCT. 
labourers, and which are thought to act exclu- 
sively as the soldiers of the community,—the 
smaller working ants (larve) always disap- 
pearing, and these larger and fiercer animals 
shewing themselves, when any of the 
are attacked.* 
These associations differ from all other 
existing among animals, in the extraordinar 
instinct of respect and devotion shewn by tl 
working members to the impregnated female, 
single in each swarm of ag and in 
nest of termites, and few in number in ea 
nest of ants,—and with this instinct most 
their other peculiarities seem to be connected. 
But it is justly observed by Mr. Spence, that 
if we suppose all the labours of the bees a 
the ants to be guided by instincts, we must ne- 
cessarily attribute to these animals a much 
greater number and variety of instinctive 
pensities, and more extraordinary modifications 
of them to suit varying circumstances of their 
condition, than to any of what are usually 
called the higher animals. i 
“In the common duck, one instinct lead: 
it at its birth from the egg to rush to the water 
another to seek its proper food; a third to pair 
with its mate; a fourth to form a nest; a ifth 
to sit upon its eggs till hatched; a sixth to 
assist the young ducklings.in extricating them 
selves from the shell ; odd seventh to defend 
them when in danger until able to provide for 
themselves: and it would not be easy as far 
as my knowledge extends, to add many more 
instinctive actions to the enumeration, or t 
adduce many specimens of the superior classes 
of animals endowed with a greater number. _ 
“ But how vastly more manifold are the 
instincts of the majority of insects! 
“ As the most striking example of the whole 
I shall select the hive-bee,—begging you te 
bear in mind that I do not mean to include 
those exhibited by the queen, the drones, or 
even those of the workers, termed by Huber 
ciriéres (wax-makers); but only to enumerate 
those Leg by that portion of the workers, 
termed by Huber nourrices or petites abeilles, 
upon whom, with the exception of making wax, 
laying the foundation of the cells, col 
lecting honey for being stored, the principal 
labours of the hive devolve. a 
‘By one instinct bees are directed to send 
out scouts previously to their swarming in 
search of a suitable abode; and by another to 
rush out of the hive after the queen that leads 
forth the swarm, and follow wherever she 
bends her course. Having taken possess f 
their new abode, whether of their own se 
or prepared for them by the hand of man, 
instinct teaches them to cleanse it from 
purities ; a fourth to collect propolis, and y 
it to stop up every crevice except the entrar 
a fifth to ventilate the hive for ing the 
purity of the air; and a sixth to keep a con-— 
stant guard at the door. 7 
“In constructing the houses and streets of © 
their new city, or the cells and combs, there are - 
probably several distinct instincts exercised 5 
. 
ay oe 
at ¥ 
all ime 
i 
he 
* Sce Spence und Kirby, vol. ii. p. 39, 
