RELATION BETWEEN ANTS. 153 
certain their route when continued rains 
have soaked the ground they are to run 
over, and effaced the traces of their steps, 
or when violent winds have dispersed 
their emanations. One would think 
they would be thrown in disorder; this 
however is not the case: they find again 
the places they before frequented, go 
considerable distancesto seek provisions ; 
and know every route which leads to the 
ant-hill. — I do not deny that the sense of 
smelling may be one of the means they 
possess in tracing their route, but there 
are circumstances in which sensations in 
that way would throw them into the 
greatest perplexity. We well know that 
several wild deer will deceive the best 
dogs of chace, by retracting their steps 
in their several turnings and windings ; 
—the ants would be deceived in like 
manner by the emanation from their com- 
panions, if they possessed not the know- 
ledge of places, from the inspection of 
objects, the memory of localities, or from 
other resources, to us unknown. 
HO 
