Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1889-12-14
LIN rArroN OF INSTINCT.
The Lack Of the Invnntive Fsealty In All
ri ID OF Insects.

The Lack Of tho Iavrntlve Fseaity In All
III sls Of Insects.
Side By side with the wonderful in
stances recorded of the intelligence OF
the lower animals are TO be found
facts betraying their apparent stupidi-
~. Instinct il good servant acting
under the ordinary conditions OF life.
but when circumstances become un-
usual. then her weakness Is evident.
Sir John Lubbock gives numerous In
stances OF the entire lack OF the in
ventive faculty la insects. One species
large grasshopper Having disabled
her victim she drags II along by one
OF the antennR. but II bo~h these be
cut of close to the head. IL never oc-
ours to her TO grasp leg. She sim
Ply leaves her victim in despair.
Again, when this wasp had once
provisioned cell with a grasshopper
and laid an egg there, both eggs and
grasshopper were removed. The
sphex was allowed to return. but
though she went into the empty cell
and must have known II to be vacant.
she calmly proceeded to stop up the
opening. as II nothing had happened.
The mason bee constructs an earthen
cell. through which. when II has
maturity, the young insect eats Its
way. Monsieur Fabre found that II
he pasted piece OF paper round the
cell the insect had no difficulty in eat
Ing through ii. but II he also inclosed
che cell In a paper case. so that there
was an air space between the cell and
paper. the insect made no attempt to
penetrate the outer paper Instinct
taught II to bite through one Enclosure.
but it had not wit enough TO attempt u
second.
Bees are supposed TO show high
order OF intelligence, as compared
with other insects, but even they have
narrow limitations There Is species
OF bee which builds cells OF masonry
and fills them with honey as she goes.
raising the rim little. then making a
few journeys for honey. and. when the
cell Is full, covering the top with a
last load of mortar.
Monsieur Fabre once chose a nearly
completed cell. and broke away por-
ton OF the wall. The bee mended the
plnce on her return. the operation
coming in the natural order OF her
work. Then the naturalist pierced u
hole In the bottom OF the cell. but.
though the honey exuded through Ii.
the poor bee continued bringing al
ternate honey aud mortar. as II moth
ing had happened.
On another occasion he made a still
larger hole. but though the little
worker examined it. even pushing her
antenna through IL. she had no idea OF
making repairs. but continued TO pour
In at the top load after load OF honey.
which. Of course, Immediately ran out
below.
Nor was this all. After hours OF
fruitless labor, when she had brought
the usual amount OF honey. she laid
her egg and carefully sealed up the
empty cell
Another instance of the resemblance
OF instinct TO mere habit Is to be found
in the case OF caterpillar which
makes a complicated sort Of hammock.
II IL caterpillar was taken from ham
mock which Il had finished up to the
sixth stage of construction. aud placed
in one which was completed To the
third stage, 1t finished its work with
out difficulty. On the other hand. II
one which had reached the third stage
were placed in one which had reached
the sixth. instead OF feeling the benefit
OF such progress. 1t became bewild,
cred and seemed forced to return tc
the point where IL had been inter.
rupted. y outh's Companion.