598 I'SYCHICAL FACULTIES OF ANTS AND OTHER INSECTS. 



or casting' out of its own brood, the neglecting of work, etc. There 

 ma}^ be a chronic increasing despondency in degenerate colonies and 

 acute despondency occasioned by a lost battle. In the last case one 

 may see a troop of large, strong ants fleeing, without anj^ attempt at 

 defense, before a single small and weak enemy who is following them 

 up. Half an hour before these fugitives would have killed the enemy 

 by a few bites. It is remarkalile how quickly the victors note this dis- 

 position and avail themselves of it. Discouraged ants are accustomed 

 to collect after flight and soon regain their will and courage. Still they 

 ofi'er but feeble resistance to a renewed attack of the same eneni}- if it 

 is made, for example, on the following day. Even an ant's brain does 

 not (piickly forget a defeat. 



In embittered conflicts between two approximately equal colonies 

 the obstina,cy of the struggle increases and with it the will to conquer, 

 until one colon}' or the other is completely overcome. In the domain 

 of the will imitation pla3's a great part. Arrogance and despondency 

 are also uncommonly contagious among ants. 



Domain of the emotions. — Most of the emotions of insects are closel}' 

 ])Ound up with instincts. This is the case with the jealousy of the 

 queen bee who kills her rivals, and the anxiet}' of the latter who are 

 yet in their cells; also with the rage of fighting ants, wasps, or bees, 

 with the just-mentioned despondency of ants, the love for the brood, 

 with the self-sacrifice of the working bees, who let themselves die of 

 hunger in order to feed their queen, and with many more. There are 

 also individual afl'ections not necessarih' conditioned by instinct, such 

 as the desire of some ants to maltreat certain opponents, as we have 

 stated. As the reverse of this, friendly services (feeding) ma}', as I 

 have witnessed, be exceptionally offered to an enemy, a mutual feel- 

 ing of sympathy and finally alliance may take place even between ants 

 of different species. Also with ants sympathy, antipath}', and anger 

 are heightened by repetition and by the acts corresponding to them, 

 as is the case with other animals and with man. 



The feeling of social duty is instinctive among ants, and it varies 

 ^■ery much according to individuals, times, and occasions, which argues 

 a certain plasticity. 



Psychical correlations. — I have hastil}' outlined the three chief 

 domains of the psychology of ants. It is, of course, understood that 

 here, as elsewhere, there is no sharp division between them. The 

 will consists of the central resultants of the sense perceptions and the 

 emotions, but reacts powerfully upon both of them. 



As long as bees are collected on only one species of flowers the}' 

 overlook all other species and even other flowers of the same species. 

 If their attention is directed to honey that they had previously over- 

 looked, then they have eyes for that alone. An intensive emotion, 

 like swarming among bees (Von Buttel) makes these insects forget all 



