The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-05-10

81 <1l1IOSI every variety FOI crime COM
n,itted by human beings is common
with insects. Even the honey bee, that
pattern of honest TOLL often yields to
/ temptation. The distinguishing quality
of this model insect. one that it shares
with men, is natural acquisitiveness.
Without modifying traits of character,
either In men or bees, it is not strange
that they sometimes seek to acquire
| that which does not belong to them.
Without this love of acquiring and
OF storing up what they possess, bees
| would, of course, be of no more service
to man than are any other of the myr-
lad swarnls of winged insects. But
bees are not fond of work for works
sake, nor are they ever restrained by
moral considerations from taking what
they want wherever they can find it
They viii frequently attack we'll
stocked hives in masses, kill the senti-
nels and the inhabitants. rob the hives
aed carry off the provisions After
repeated enterprises of this description
they acquire taste for robbery and
violence, recruit whole companies
which become more and more nuner-
ons, and finally form regular colonies
of brigand bees.
A still more curious fact regarding
these insects is that brigand bees can
be produced aTtifcially by giving work
ing bees a mixture of brandy and
honey 10 ir1abibe. The bees soon take
special delight IN this beverage, which
has Something the same effect upon
them as upon men; they become liz
disposed, and instantly lose all desire
to work, but prefer when hungry to
attack and plumber well-h1led hives.
There is one variety of bees, the Sphe
Gods, which lives exclusively upon i
plumber. This variety, according to
Marchal. is formed Of individuals of |
the HaIictus species, whose organs of /
notification are defective, and which
have gradually developed into a sepa-
rate variety, living almost exclusively
upon plumber. Thus they may be said /
to exhibit an example of innate and
organic cTirninality among insects, rep
resenting what Prof Lombroso calls
@natural-born criminals That is, in
diyiduals which are led to crime by
their own organic constitution
A common crime among insects IS
demonstrating, which consists OF the
cuckoo-lil1e trick Of substituting their
own offspring for that of some provi-
dent, hard working parent who is thus
made 10 feed, protect and care for the
children of the enemies of her race.
One of the craftiest of these home
stealers is a little fly that entomol-
ogists have named Miltogramn1a This
unlike a house fly, though somewhat
smaller; but it selects for its dupe no
less an insect that the formidable sand
wasp Benbexrostrata, a creature much,
its superior IN strength, size and, It
might well be supposed, in intelligence,
since the sand wasp, IN order TO pro-
tect its home and Young brood, exer-
cises peculiar mental faculties which
men themselves cannot equal. These
wasps form their nests IN wide ex-
oanses of sand When they leave them
they carefully cover them with sand
Even the closest inspection, the most
minute examination IaitS TO md the
slightest difference between the exact
position occupied by the nest and any
3fher spots in the great field of sand
where If IS placed Nevertheless. when
bringing home food for her little ones,
which she does al stated intervals, Benz
lex flies unerringiy home without hest
alton
These wasps feed on gad-hies, and
n common with solitary wasDs general
v have the power Of singing their
rictir1s so as not to kill, but to COM
oletely paraivze them. With these
Iead-alive victims the wasp stores her
lest The provisions she furnishes are
nus kept fresh and untainted for her
-oung to feed upon when they leave the
gg IE
Flying about on a accommodating ex-
edition. Afiltogranrna sees one of thei
vasps she Is seeking alight on the sand