96 SOCIAL MATERNITY. 



the ample wings adapted only to encumber her when about to 

 enter on the duties of maternity amongst others, the con- 

 struction of nurseries within the earth. This labor she is 

 accustomed to perform unassisted by the workers (who, in fact, 

 are not in existence to assist), upon the foundation of a col- 

 ony ; but, as this becomes peopled, the duties of nursing the 

 rising generation, feeding them, defending them, carrying 

 them out for air and sun, &c., &c., devolve upon the latter. 



The mother wasp also, as sole foundress of a colony, has 

 also to labour hard for herself and infant family, till the latter 

 affords a supply of workers to lighten or relieve her of her 

 burdens. The queen of the hive is, for her part, much too 

 great a personage to put her royal claw (or jaw) to any such 

 menial occupations, her only business being to people her 

 kingdom, indulge her appetites, and receive the devoted hom- 

 age of her subjects. Amongst bees, therefore, the workers 

 are the sole nurses of the infant community, which receive 

 from their dignified mother no tokens of love or care which 

 she would have, indeed, to divide amongst so many, that the 

 smallest particle of attention could scarcely be bestowed on 

 each. A family consisting of from seventy to a hundred 

 thousand, all born within the compass of about two years, 

 may be certainly allowed to exonerate their mother from any 

 maternal office, save that of their introduction into the world ; 

 and, as contrary to what is usually the case with progenies 

 of royal descent, that of the queen bee is destined to become 



