PERFECT SOCIETIES OF INSECTS. $1 
metamorphosis is sem7-complete, devolves upon the lar- 
vee; the neuters, unless these should prove to be the lar- 
vee of males, being the soldiers of the community. 
From this circumstance perfect societies may be divided 
into two classes; the first including those whose workers 
are larve, and the second those whose workers are neu- 
ters*, "The white ants belong to the former of these 
classes, and the social Hymenoptera to the latter. 
Before I begin with the history of the societies of 
white ants, I must notice a remark that has been made 
applying to societies in general—that numbers are es- 
sential to the full development of the instinct of social 
animals. ‘This has been observed by Bonnet with re- 
spect to the beaver”; by Reaumur of the hive-bee; and 
by M. P. Huber of the humble-bee*. Amongst hymeno- 
pterous social insects, however, the observation seems not 
universally applicable, but only under particular circum- 
stances; for in incipient societies of ants, humble-bees, 
and wasps, one female lays the foundations of them at 
first by herself; and the first brood of neuters that is 
hatched is very small. 
I have on a former occasion given you some account 
of the devastation produced by the white ants, or Ter- 
mites, the species of which constitute the first class of 
4 T employ occasionally the term newders, though it is not perfectly 
proper, for the sake of convenience ;—strictly speaking, they may ra- 
ther be regarded as imperfect or sterile females. Yet certainly, as 
the imperfection of their organization unfits them for sexual pur- 
poses, the term neuter is not absolutely improper. 
b Hav. 1x. 168. 
© M. P. Huber in Linn. Trans. vi. 256. Reaum, v. 
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