Mr. Hunter’s Observations on Bees. 139 
To consider this society individually, it may be said to consist 
of a female breeder, female non-breeders, and males : but to 
consider it as a community, it may be said to consist only of 
female breeders and non-breeders, the males answering no 
other purpose than simply as a male, and are only temporary ; 
and it is probable, the female breeder is to be considered in no 
other light than as a layer of eggs, and that she only influences 
the non-breeders by her presence, being only a bond of union, 
for without her they seem to have no tie ; it is her presence that 
makes them an aggregate animal. May we not suppose that 
the offspring of the queen have an attachment to the mother, 
somewhat similar to the attachment of young birds to the 
female that brings them up ? for although the times of their 
attachment are not equal, yet it is the dependence which each 
has on its mother, that constitutes the bond ; for bees have 
none without her: however, the similarity is not exact, for 
young animals who have lost their nurse will herd together, 
and jointly make the best shifts they can, because in future 
they are to become single animals ; but bees have an eternal 
instinctive dependence on the mother, probably from there not 
being distinct sexes. When the queen is lost, this attachment 
is broke ; they give up industry, probably die ; or, we may 
suppose, join some other hive. This is not the case with those 
of this tribe, whose queen singly forms a colony ; for although 
the queen is destroyed, yet they go on with that work which 
is their lot ; as the wasp, hornet, and humble bee. Most pro- 
bably the whole oeconomy of the bee, which we so much ad- 
mire, belongs to the non-breeders, and depends on their in- 
stinctive powers being set to work by the presence of the 
breeders, that being their only enjoyment ; therefore when we 
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