326 HALF HOURS WITH INSECTS. [Packard. 



tration of the wonderful exactness of the division of labor 

 in these insects. Smeathman well observes that "by tiie 

 soldiers being so ready to run out upon the repetition of the 

 attack, it appears that they but just withdraw out of sight, 

 to leave room for the labourers to proceed without interrup- 

 tion in repairing the breach, and in this instance they shew 

 more good sense than the bulk of mankind, for, in case of a 

 conflagration in a city, the number of people who asseml>le 

 to stare is much greater than of those who come to assist, 

 and the former always interrupt and hinder the latter in their 

 efforts. The sudden retreat of the labourers in case of an 

 alarm, is also a wonderful instance of good order and disci- 

 pline, seldom seen in populous cities, where we frequently 

 find helpless people, women and children, without any ill 

 intention, intermixing in violent tumults and dangerous 

 riots." 



Smeathman then speaks of the obstacles thrown in his 

 way while examining the nests, by these intelligent crea- 

 tures, in addition to the brittleness of the works inside. 

 They fight to the very last, "disputing every inch of ground 

 so well as often to drive away the negroes who are without 

 shoes, and make white people bleed plentifully through their 

 stockings. Neither can we let a building stand so as to get 

 a view of the interior parts without interruption, for while 

 the soldiers are defending the out-works, the labourers keep 

 barricading all the way against us, stopping up the different 

 galleries and passages which lead to the various apartments, 

 particularly the royal chamber, all the entrances to which 

 they fill up so artfully as not to let it be distinguishable 

 while it remains moist." 



How faithfully the queen is watched over by the laborers, 

 who have so many other duties to perform, is very striking, 

 and is a puzzling problem to those who would take the 

 ground that these social insects are guided alone by blind 

 instinct or an "unconscious automatism." Read Smeath- 



G 



