The Life of the Bee 



almost invisible matter, as though it were 

 a fluid whereon depended the destiny of 

 man? I hold, and exaggerate nothing, 

 that our interest herein is of the most con- 

 siderableo The discovery of a sign of 

 true intellect outside ourselves procures 

 us something of the emotion Robinson 

 Crusoe felt when he saw the imprint of 

 a human foot on the sandy beach of his 

 island. We seem less solitary than we 

 had believed. And indeed, in our en 

 deavour to understand the intellect of 

 the bees, we are studying in them that 

 which is most precious in our own sub- 

 stance : an atom of the extraordinary 

 matter which possesses, wherever it at- 

 tach itself, the magnificent power of 

 transfiguring blind necessity, of organ- 

 ising, embellishing, and multiplying life; 

 and, most striking of all, of holding in 

 suspense the obstinate force of death, 

 and the mighty, irresponsible wave that 



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