116 SUPPLEMENT ON 



exceeding fecundity of insects which live in society, seems to 

 establish the necessity of a third division of individuals, such 

 as the neuters, which shall possess the affections of maternity, 

 without the reproductive faculty. 



All these insects, with the exception of the termites, are of 

 the number of those which undergo complete metamorphoses, 

 and their larvae, unlike the caterpillars, are quite unable, from 

 feebleness, absence of feet, and the extreme smallness of the 

 mouth to provide for themselves. Besides, they would seek 

 in vain to procure their food, which consists in vegetable or 

 animal matter, which has undergone preparatively a digestive 

 process. In this state of things almost daily assistance is 

 necessary for them. This the mothers, had they been alone, 

 could by no possibility have afforded. They never could 

 have found strength or time to collect magazines of provisions 

 for so numerous a family, nor could the provisions have been 

 preserved in a proper state, up to the time that they were 

 wanted. If the existence of the mothers were prolonged 

 beyond the time of the disclosing of the young, and the 

 bringing up and the education of the latter were entrusted to 

 them, their difficulties would still increase. They could not 

 find every day the quantity of aliments required, especially 

 in rainy weather, and even supposing that they could procure 

 them, how could they distribute them to each individual 

 larva ? How could they watch over, and preserve them from 

 the infinite number of perils by which they are menaced ? 

 It is very different with solitary insects. Their family, few 

 in number, isolated, concealed, and occupying but a small 

 space, can easily be withdrawn from the investigations of its 

 enemies. But insects, united in great numbers in the same 

 nest, have more unfavourable risks to run. The careful 

 attention of the ants to their progeny affords an apt illustra- 

 tion of this point. 



The preservation therefore of such animals, and the pros- 



