PHILOSOPHIC ANTS 181 



that in the race of ants there still resided 

 a certain quantity of these virtues that 

 give regularity to things and events; al- 

 though not sufficient wholly to counter- 

 balance the machinations of the power of 

 evil and disorder. 



(2.2.3) That where a number of ants had their 

 home and were congregated together, there 

 the virtue resided in larger bulk and with 

 greater effect, but that abroad, where ants 

 were scattered and away from hearth, 

 home, and altar, the demon of irregularity 

 exerted greater sway. 



This doctrine held the field for centuries. 

 ******* 



But at last a philosopher arose. He was not satis- 

 fied with the current explanation, although this had 

 been held for so long that it had acquired the odour 

 and force of a religious dogma. He decided to put 

 the matter to the test. He took a pupa (anglice 

 "ant's egg") and on a windless day suspended it from 

 a twig outside the nest. There he had it swung back 

 and forth, counting its swings. He then (having 

 previously obtained permission from the Royal Sacer- 

 dotal College) suspended the pupa by the same 

 length of thread from the roof of the largest chamber 

 of the nest — a dome devoted to spiritual exercise — 

 and repeated the swinging and the counting. The 

 living pendulum-bob achieved the same daily num- 

 ber of oscillations inside the nest as outside, although 



