PASSIONS AND EMOTIONS OF BEES.
Affection for Queen and Brood--Recognition of Friends and
Strangers--Fear--Anger--Covetousness--Benevolence--Remorse--
Hope--Instinctive or Sense-action.
Certain difficulties surround the question of the emotions exhibited
by the lower orders of animals; since it is easy for imagination, or,
at least, the interpretative faculty of observers, to lend so special
a colouring to actions, that the significance given to appearances
will vary exceedingly, according to the subjectivity of the individual
recording and explaining phenomena. There can, however, be little
doubt that a feeling of _affection_ exists between the workers and the
queen, and is reciprocally manifested. The symptoms of distress at the
loss of the hive-mother; the reverent attention paid to her by her
special attendants; the joy at her restoration after temporary removal;
resentment shown to a substitute while any hope of recovering their
rightful monarch remains; the devoted following of her when a swarm
issues, all tend unmistakably, we think, to show that genuine love is
the bond between the undeveloped females and the one fully developed in
the community. As to the drones, we can give credit to one only--the
royal spouse--for any share in this emotion, and, indeed, we should be
inclined to place the one exception in a different category.
As to affection for all belonging to one community, the facts are very
conflicting. In the first place, drones appear to have the _entrée_
of any stock. We can see that the obvious benefit of cross-breeding
is thus more likely to be secured; but it is impossible to imagine
this advantage to influence the bees. Again, the manifest hostility
shown by one colony of workers to individuals from any other, is
doubtless the result of the fear of stores being robbed; while drones
are allowed free passage, because they do not transfer honey from one
hive to another, and take no more than suffices for their personal
needs. But, while there is no doubt of exclusiveness being shown by
the workers towards other workers, we have little evidence of any
actual affection existing among the members of the same community. It
is true that the crushing of one bee enrages others who become aware
of the circumstance, but the anger is probably the result of fear of
further destruction, rather than grief at the loss of a friend. The
death of individuals in the ordinary course of nature, does not seem
to excite any emotion beyond the desire to get rid of the body, which
is unceremoniously taken in the jaws, aided by the legs, of some
enterprising survivor, carried to a distance from the hive, and then
let fall. Bees never attempt to extricate co-workers from imprisonment
in spider-webs, or from any other difficulty into which they have
fallen.
We must, however, acknowledge that an intense affection for the
developing brood is shown by the workers. It matters not whether the
combs containing it belong to their own hives or to others. They will
cluster upon the cells to maintain the required warmth, will supply
the larvæ with food, and render every attention required by the young.
When the offspring have come forth, some rather rough, but manifestly
kindly meant offices, are performed, in clearing away the remains of
the cocoon, combing out the imperfectly expanded wings, &c., but loving
care ceases with the need for it; and, in adult life, the most we can
predicate is a placid indifference to each other's presence, unless,
indeed, anger should be aroused by some accident, when a more or less
serious battle will take place.
That bees are susceptible of _fear_ we have made evident in what has
been said about the effect produced on them by smoke, by drumming, and
by any sharp vibration of their combs.
The passion of _anger_ is decidedly prominent in their nature. It
is, indeed, apt to rise to an uncontrollable degree on very slight
provocation, particularly, as we have mentioned, under certain
conditions of weather, and especially of temperature. Moreover, the
exhibition of it is frequently unrestrained by the fact that the use
of the sting generally means the death of the aggressor, owing to the
impossibility of withdrawing the barbed weapon, without tearing away
part of the vital organs also.
_Covetousness_ is also a powerful emotion with these insects. We have
already spoken of the dangers of allowing bees a taste of sweets from
other hives than their own, and of the almost ineradicable longing for
the honey stored in other communities, if once pilfering has begun. And
yet we can hardly ascribe sheer selfishness as the motive for robbing.
We see, in fact, that the life of the worker is one long series of
labours on behalf of a progeny not its own, and for a community in
which its own existence is of very short duration. While, therefore, we
allow that there is shown a desire to avoid honest toil, if dishonest
courses will yield supplies more readily, still we must admit that the
good, not of the individual but of the state, is the actually impelling
principle of the plunderer. The amount of infatuation shown in the
eagerness of bees for sweets is well described by Dr. Langstroth: "No
one can understand the extent of it until he has seen a confectioner's
shop assailed myriads of hungry bees. I have seen thousands by strained
out from the syrup in which they had perished, thousands more alighting
even upon the boiling sweets, the floor covered and the windows
darkened with bees, some crawling, others flying, and others still so
completely besmeared as to be able neither to crawl nor fly--not one in
ten able to carry home its ill-gotten spoils, and yet the air filled
with new hosts of thoughtless comers." They appear, indeed, unable
to perceive the disasters of companions, and rush heedlessly on to
destruction, the victims of which lie all around them.
From what has been previously said, it will be seen that we cannot
with any show of reason assign to bees such complex emotions as
_benevolence_ or _remorse_. They are incapable, on the one hand, of
appreciating the combination of circumstances involved in the distress
or need of a friend, and the means of aid suitable for relief; and, on
the other, having apparently no distinct knowledge of how the doing or
omission of any action will affect other individuals, they cannot be
sensible of regret or satisfaction in having done, or neglected to do,
any specific deed.
We might, probably, with equal assurance deny to bees the possession
of _hope_. It is true they prepare combs, store honey and pollen,
attend upon the queen when laying, and carefully nurture the larvæ, as
if they anticipated the rearing of a progeny; but it is difficult to
conceive that these various duties are carried out with any definite
notion of the future. We incline rather to the belief that a series of
sensations promotes a corresponding series of actions, the combination,
correspondence, and harmonising of which, for the general welfare, is
wrought out by laws of which we know nothing, or, we would much rather
say, by the operation of the infinite and Divine Will, without the
direct control of which we cannot imagine this complex universe could
hold on its way. Nor need we hesitate to assign its working to such
comparatively insignificant objects as hives of bees, when we have the
emphatic declaration of our Lord that not one sparrow lights upon the
ground for its food without the knowledge of God; that He feeds the
ravens, clothes the lilies with beauty, and numbers the very hairs of
our heads.