The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-07-06

too, perhaps the naturalists who have
well observed these captures of one
race by another have not awaited the
end. Ants of large brown species
exist that capture eggs, and it must
be, then. that either they are not
robbed of their entire progeniture, or
that the slaves some day or another
go back home, dividing in their turn
the victors of the day before. Per-
haps one of these days l shall see a
procession of smaller ants proceeding
quietly toward their original abode.
Since the epoch in which Descartes,
by an inspiration (this time inauspi-
cious) of his genius, tried to reduce
animals to the state of machines, and
in which Malebranche, his fanatical
disciple, carried this idea to the point
of extravaganza, and since the epoch
in which Button, in contradiction to
his pompous TRADES on the qualities
of the dog, horse, etc, endeavored to
ism in the animal. considerable pro.
gress has been made in this line OF
questions. No more than any
astronomer to-day disputes the
plurality of the worlds does any
naturalist longer dispute the mani
festations Gotten very elevated)
of intelligence, reasoning and other
psychical faculties, not in the animal
kingdom taken in a lump, as done by
many persons in order to deny the fact
more easily, but in certain species and
certain individuals of such species.
Man being considered (by himself. be
it understoOd as the highest type OF
animate and living nature, it might be
thought that these inferior beings,
which, in certain respects, are com.
parable to him, would be the very ones
that, by their organization, resembled
him most. Although, in fact, that is
the case, generally speaking. we new.
ertheless meet with exceptions that
seem to us true enigmas. What more
different from our own than the Or
ganism of an ant? And yet, in the
scene that have described, we find
ourselves in the presence of acts in
which instinct as prime mover is nc
longer merely in the background, and
which suppose reasoning. prolonged
observation and means of communica-
ton between individuals that no one
would have suspected q pri0ri.
The two ant hills that speak Of
those of the pillagers and the pillaged
are very distant from each other.
and one of them is in an inclosure. |
follow the same path daily, but l
never observed ants traversing it be-
fore. Instinct may say to the large
brown ants that there exist other ants
capable of doing what they themselves
do not wish and know not how to do;
but here the revelations of such in
stinct stop. In order to satisfy it the
incapable ants must plainly have had
explorers to go to a distance to look
for a colony of workers, to boldly en-
ter the latter's quarters in order to
see when the laying of eggs would
take place, and then return home and
report the time thereof to their COM
panions. Such information must have
been communicated quickly to the en-
tire colony, and the order to move
must have been perfectly understood,
since the head of the column was adj
vancing in good order and with quick
pace. Moreover, this legion must have
had guides that were very sure Of
their business and of the object
i've point to be reached. The ants
that turned back and quickly traversed
all the ranks, to see if every thing was
proceeding according to rule. probably
knew that among their kind, as among
our own, intelligence and the senti-
ment of duty are not the same with
all. The council of war held in the
circle before the attack of the camp
to be pillaged is proof of we'll.
reasoned prudence. No unwise head
in command said: "All is ready"
In what precedes l do not intend to
teach the reader any thing new. He
will find in the well written work OF
Brehm some remarkable observations
on the habits and aptitudes of ants.
The reason that l have entered al
some length upon this subject is be.
cause | had never seen a succession oil
acts more varied displayed among
these little creatures, and all combin.
ing to lead the spectator to the same
forced conclusion. To have seen
nothing but mechanism and blind in
stinct in the scene that witnessed,
should myself have had to be endowed
with scarcely any thing else than
these two motors. The reader will
certainly join me in this couclusion.-
G. A. Him. in La Nature