130 HUMBLE CREATURES. 



comment on the bee's motive in biting off the wings) 

 as an example of the reasoning faculty ; and really, 

 upon the face of it, it bears every indication of a 

 rational act, with all the weakness of imperfect rea- 

 soning powers. Apparently the Bee bites off the 

 wings, these organs coming under its immediate 

 notice, which it knows would convey its enemy back 

 to the nest, if they were left unimpaired ; but she 

 forgets that it can reach the same goal by the aid of 

 its legs alone, just (to borrow the idea of a friend to 

 whom we narrated this anecdote) as an unskilful 

 general seizes one position that he considers essen- 

 tial to obtain a victory or secure a defence, whilst 

 he overlooks some other post by which the enemy 

 penetrates and spreads havoc in his ranks. But a 

 little further reflection overthrows all these ingenious 

 speculations, and we are compelled to ask ourselves, 

 did not the Bee, under the impulse of anger, and 

 from the instinct implanted in it for the preservation 

 of its offspring, in attempting to destroy its enemy, 

 just bite off that portion of its body which was vul- 

 nerable and approachable, and, having thus vented 

 its rage, fly off, as its instinct prompted, to satisfy 

 itself of the security of its offspring? We shall 

 not pretend to decide imder which class of actions 

 this one may be said to rank, but certainly we should 

 be equally reluctant to accept the dictum of another 

 on the subject. 



But this difficulty in defining the exact limits that 

 separate instinct from reason need not deter us from 



