M. Geer scattered the eggs of an earwig over the bottom of a box: "The earwig carried them, however, one by one, into a certain part of the box, and then remained constantly sitting upon the heap without ever quitting it for a moment until the eggs were hatched."[58] This, I take it, is at least an instance of love of offspring, even if it is not a higher emotion. From the earwig's habit of watching over her young I am inclined to believe that this insect possesses true mother-love.
Many of the lower animals give unmistakable evidences of the possession by them of the emotions of anger and fear. Ants, centipedes, tarantulas, weevils, etc., as well as many of the crustacea will give battle on the slightest provocation, clearly showing by their actions that anger and hate are their incentives. When alarmed, their actions indicate very plainly that the emotion of fear has seized them.
In the next chapter I hope to show that many of the lower animals possess one or more of the finer emotions, which I have thought best to group under the head of Æstheticism.
FOOTNOTES:
[41] Romanes, Animal Intelligence.
[42] Darwin, Descent of Man.
[43] Semper, Animal Life.
[44] Hartmann, Anthropoid Apes.
[45] Compare Darwin, Expression of the Emotions, p. 120.
[46] Martin, Natural History of Mammalia, Vol. I. pp. 383, 410; quoted also by Darwin, loc. cit. ante.