If she sometimes kills on her own account and abandons the body after exhausting it of honey, I dare not call her action a crime.

When the habit has once been formed of emptying the bee's crop for the best of motives, the temptation is great to do so with no other excuse than hunger.

Moreover--who can say ?--perhaps there is always some afterthought that the larvae might profit by the sacrifice.

Although not carried into effect the intention excuses the act.
I therefore withdraw my abusive epithets in order to express my admiration of the creature's maternal logic.

Honey would be harmful to the grubs.