THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE HIVE 69 



be counted on to exercise in certain well-defined 

 and limited ways. But as an intelligent, origin- 

 ating force she counts for nothing. The mind in 

 the hive is the collective mind of the whole colony, 

 apart from the queen and drones — an hereditary, 

 communal intellect evolved through the ages, 

 the sum and total of all bee experience since the 

 world of bees began. 



If, however, modern science compels us to 

 divest the mother- bee of all her regal state and 

 quality, and thus destroy one of the prettiest delu- 

 sions of ancient times, it is only to take up a story 

 of real life more alluring and romantic still. In 

 the light of new understanding the old facts take 

 on a mystery and excite a wonderment greater 

 than ever before. If we found the life of the 

 hive an enthralling study when we supposed it to 

 originate from one winged atom endowed with 

 acute and commanding abilities, how much more 

 fascinating must it prove when we come to see 

 that all this complex system of government is 

 instituted and kept together by the harmonious 

 working of tens of thousands of reasoning beings .■* 



Reasoning — it is a big word, a double-edged 

 thing that requires careful handling. We have 

 been so long accustomed to use it only in regard 

 to our own magnificent mental processes that it 

 savours almost of the ridiculous to bring it to bear 

 upon such a tiny et-cetera in the brute creation as 

 the honey-bee. And yet, the deeper we go in the 



