312 AFFECTION OF INSECTS FOR THEIR YOUN<^. 



when a virgin, she is enabled to traverse the fields of ether, 

 surrounded by myriads of the other sex, who are candidates 

 for her favour. But when once connubial rites are celebrated, 

 the unhappy husband dies, and the widowed bride seeks only 

 how she may provide for their mutual offspring. Panting no 

 more to join the choir of aerial dancers, her only thought is 

 to construct a subterranean abode in which she may deposit 

 and attend to her eggs, and cherish her embryo young, till, 

 having passed through their various changes, they arrive at 

 their perfect state, and she can devolve upon them a portion 

 of her maternal cares. Her ample wings, which before were 

 her chief ornament and the instruments of her pleasure, are 

 now an encumbrance which incommode her in the fulfilment 

 of the great duty uppermost in her mind; she, therefore, 

 without a moment's hesitation, plucks them from her 

 shoulders. Might we not then address females who have 

 families in words like those of Solomon, " Go to the ant, ye 

 mothers ; consider her ways and be wise ? " 



M. P. Huber was more than once witness to this proceeding. 

 He saw one female stretch her wings with a strong efibrt so 

 as to bring them before her head — she then crossed them in 

 all directions — next she reversed them alternately on each 

 side — at last, in consequence of some violent contortions, the 

 four wings fell at the same moment in his presence. Another, 

 in addition to these motions, used her legs to assist in the ^ 

 work.^ 



Thus, from the very moment of the extrusion of the egg 

 to the maturity of the perfect insect, are the ants unre- 

 mittingly occupied in the care of the young of the society, 

 and that with an ardour of aifectionate attachment to which, 

 when its intensity and duration are taken into the account, 

 we may fairly say there is nothing parallel in the whole 

 animal world.^ Amongst birds and quadrupeds we have in- 

 stances of affection as strong perhaps while it lasts, but how 



1 Huber, 109. — Gould had, long before Huber, observed that female ants cast 

 their wings, pp. 59, 62. 64. I have frequently observed them, sometimes with 

 only one wing, at others with only fragments of the wings ; and again, at others 

 they were so completely pulled off, that it could not be known that they for- 

 merly had them, only by the sockets in which they were inserted. 



2 Huber, 93. 



