﻿MIND 
  O^ 
  AN" 
  INSECT 
  SNODGKASS 
  413 
  

  

  mechanism 
  is 
  set 
  going, 
  its 
  orderly 
  procedure 
  is 
  perhaps 
  the 
  result 
  

   of 
  a 
  peculiar 
  organization 
  in 
  the 
  controlling 
  nerve 
  centers, 
  though, 
  

   for 
  all 
  that 
  is 
  known, 
  each 
  act 
  may 
  create 
  the 
  stimulus 
  for 
  its 
  suc- 
  

   cessor. 
  The 
  effects 
  of 
  internal 
  stimuli 
  are 
  often 
  modified 
  by 
  external 
  

   conditions, 
  such 
  as 
  temperature, 
  humidity, 
  and 
  physical 
  surround- 
  

   ings, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  remarkable 
  hov/ 
  the 
  succeeding 
  reflexes 
  in 
  an 
  instinct, 
  

   like 
  the 
  successive 
  phases 
  of 
  growth 
  and 
  metamorphosis, 
  will 
  proceed 
  

   against 
  opposition 
  from 
  the 
  environment 
  and 
  will 
  cease 
  to 
  be 
  oper- 
  

   ative 
  only 
  when 
  continuance 
  becomes 
  impossible. 
  

  

  IV. 
  INTELLIGENCE 
  OF 
  INSECTS 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  hard 
  to 
  discover 
  the 
  rules 
  that 
  govern 
  the 
  development 
  of 
  

   intelligence. 
  Social 
  animals 
  are 
  usually 
  supposed 
  to 
  be 
  mentally 
  

   superior 
  to 
  individualistic 
  creatures, 
  and 
  yet 
  the 
  higher 
  forms 
  of 
  

   intelligence 
  are 
  better 
  cultivated 
  apart 
  from 
  the 
  crowd 
  than 
  in 
  close 
  

   contact 
  with 
  it. 
  The 
  family 
  home 
  rather 
  than 
  the 
  general 
  com- 
  

   munity 
  seems 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  the 
  center 
  that 
  bred 
  intelligence. 
  In 
  the 
  

   evolution 
  both 
  of 
  man 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  social 
  insects 
  home 
  building 
  or 
  home 
  

   life 
  probably 
  preceded 
  the 
  formation 
  of 
  the 
  larger, 
  more 
  complex 
  

   community, 
  which 
  when 
  once 
  evolved 
  has 
  a 
  tendency 
  to 
  become 
  regu- 
  

   lated 
  by 
  customs 
  and 
  traditions 
  that 
  suppress 
  individuality. 
  

  

  Animals 
  without 
  definite 
  habitations 
  may 
  wander 
  here 
  and 
  there 
  

   wherever 
  fancy 
  takes 
  them, 
  or 
  the 
  food 
  supply 
  attracts 
  them. 
  They 
  

   do 
  not 
  have 
  to 
  retrace 
  their 
  steps, 
  and 
  so 
  they 
  do 
  not 
  need 
  to 
  observe 
  

   their 
  course 
  or 
  to 
  remember 
  localities. 
  But 
  an 
  animal 
  with 
  a 
  home 
  

   either 
  for 
  itself 
  or 
  for 
  its 
  young, 
  whicli 
  is 
  not 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  its 
  

   prison, 
  must 
  laiow 
  hov/ 
  to 
  return 
  after 
  Avandering 
  abroad 
  in 
  search 
  

   of 
  building 
  material 
  or 
  of 
  food. 
  

  

  Most 
  insects 
  are 
  nomadic 
  individuals, 
  bound 
  by 
  no 
  ties 
  to 
  any 
  spot. 
  

   But 
  many 
  species 
  have 
  abodes 
  of 
  one 
  sort 
  or 
  another. 
  Some 
  spend 
  

   the 
  day 
  in 
  burrows, 
  some 
  have 
  a 
  retreat 
  in 
  the 
  curl 
  of 
  a 
  leaf, 
  others 
  

   construct 
  tents 
  of 
  silk 
  in 
  the 
  branches 
  of 
  trees, 
  some 
  make 
  nests 
  for 
  

   their 
  young 
  that 
  the}^ 
  do 
  not 
  themselves 
  inhabit, 
  others 
  enlarge 
  the 
  

   nest 
  sufficiently 
  for 
  their 
  own 
  accommodation. 
  The 
  social 
  bees 
  live 
  

   by 
  nature 
  in 
  hollow 
  trees 
  or 
  in 
  cavities 
  of 
  the 
  rocks; 
  ants 
  dig 
  elab- 
  

   orate 
  subterranean 
  galleries 
  where 
  they 
  live 
  and 
  rear 
  their 
  brood 
  ; 
  the 
  

   community 
  wasps 
  construct 
  homes 
  of 
  paper 
  which 
  shelter 
  the 
  young 
  

   and 
  house 
  the 
  succeeding 
  generations 
  of 
  the 
  season. 
  All 
  such 
  insects 
  

   are 
  able 
  to 
  return 
  to 
  their 
  nests 
  or 
  dwelling 
  places 
  after 
  their 
  journeys 
  

   afield 
  wherever 
  their 
  duties 
  take 
  them. 
  The 
  wasps 
  and 
  the 
  bees 
  go 
  

   long 
  distances 
  from 
  their 
  nests 
  or 
  homes, 
  and 
  they 
  return 
  with 
  such 
  

   impressive 
  accuracy 
  that, 
  to 
  the 
  earlier 
  naturalists, 
  it 
  seemed 
  they 
  

   must 
  possess 
  a 
  mysterious 
  " 
  sense 
  of 
  direction." 
  The 
  fact, 
  however, 
  

   that 
  these 
  insects 
  lose 
  their 
  way, 
  as 
  does 
  any 
  ordinarily 
  endowed 
  crea- 
  

   ture, 
  when 
  taken 
  to 
  a 
  strange 
  territory 
  shows 
  that 
  their 
  supposed 
  

  

  