ANT COMMUNITIES 



delivered, and which previously had been carried from 

 the hill and dumped among the stones outside. Within 

 three days, so vigorously did the work go on, two-thirds 

 of the track had been filled up. The new work did not 

 connect with the broken parts on the side toward the 

 summit, but a deep trench, or open gallery, was there 

 preserved all the way across. This seemed strange 

 until it was considered that it was needful, or at least 

 convenient, to keep such an opening into the network 

 interior of galleries in order to allow easy entrance to 

 and exit from the works within the track. 



Could this systematic order of work, with such plain 

 marks of an intelligent plan, and carried forward much 

 after the manner of men, in their like though larger 

 undertakings, have come about by mere chance? It 

 does not seem reasonable to think so. Yet there was 

 no trace in any quarter or in any act of chief-engineer, 

 or local foreman, or gang-boss, or of. any visible or- 

 ganized directing body, or official supervisor, or regulator, 

 or prompter. Every individual had a mind to work, 

 and every one wrought, but unprompted and un- 

 governed save by its own impulse. 



Here, also, the observer was impressed by the presence 

 of that invisible, secret, mysterious Something which 

 he has called the Spirit of the Commune bevond the 



i */ 



veil of science and philosophy, which kept all these 

 active sovereign integers in such harmonious co-opera- 

 tion in the execution of a fixed plan, sustained without 

 intermission for half a week. Is analogous action 

 possible among men? And if not, why not? And 

 wherein lies the superiority if it be superiority in 

 this respect of ants over men? 



Everywhere we note examples of this co-operating 



40 



