BEES AND WASPS — WAKS. 
169 
war is plunder ; and facts now well substantiated by 
numberless observers concerning 6 robber-bees 5 indicate 
a large measure of intelligence. These aim at lessening 
their labour in collecting honey by plundering the store 
of other hives. The robberies may be conducted singly or 
in concert. When the thieving propensity is developed 
only in individual cases, the thieves cannot rely on force 
in plundering a foreign state, and so resort to cautious 
stealth. 6 They show by their whole behaviour — creeping 
into the hive with careful vigilance — that they are per- 
fectly conscious of their bad conduct ; whereas the workers 
belonging to the hive fly in quickly and openly, and in 
full consciousness of their right . 5 If such solitary burglars 
are successful in obtaining plunder, their bad example 
leads other members of their own community to imitate 
them ; thus it is that the whole bee-nation may de- 
velop marauding habits, and when they do this they act 
in concert to rob by force. In this case an army of bees 
precipitates itself upon the foreign hive, a battle ensues, 
and if successful in overcoming^ resistance, the invaders 
first of all search out the queen-bee and put her to death, 
whereby they disorganise their enemies and plunder the 
hive with ease. It is observed that when this policy is once 
successful, the spirit of aggrandisement is encouraged, so 
that the robber-bees 4 find more pleasure in robbery than 
in their own work, and become at last formidable robber- 
states . 5 When an invaded hive is fairly overcome by 
the invaders killing the queen, the owners of the hive, 
finding that all is lost, not only abandon further resistance, 
but very often reverse their policy and join the ranks of 
their conquerors. They assist in the tearing down of 
their cells, and in the conveyance of the honey to the 
hive of their invaders. ‘ When the assailed hive is 
emptied, the next ones are attacked, and if no effective 
resistance is offered, are robbed in similar fashion, so that 
in this way a whole bee-stand may be gradually destroyed . 5 
Siebold observed the same facts in the case of wasps 
(. Polistes gallica ). If, however, the battle turns in favour 
of the defenders, they pursue the flying legions of their 
enemies to a distance from their home. It sometimes 
