56 



If we understand Father Wasmann's argu 

 ment rightly it is this : Since among the fossil 

 ants found in the tertiary amber of the Baltic 

 and Sicily none are discovered which are iden 

 tical with some species which now exist "we 

 can hardly avoid coming to the conclusion" 

 that no such species ever existed before, and 

 that our present ants must have descended by 

 way of evolution from the fossil ants which are 

 there found. By way of confirmation of this 

 argument it may be added that among the 

 fossil ants of the Baltic and Sicilian tertiaries 

 we do find genera which still exist. Therefore 

 the probability is that no species like those now 

 existing ever lived and that our present ones 

 are descended from these fossil ants which we 

 do find there. We think Father Wasmann 

 himself has not put his argument in stronger 

 form than we have done. Let us examine this 

 argument at length. 



The argument looks exceedingly like trying 

 to prove a negative. What is the proof that 

 no such species ever existed previously and 

 that we must look elsewhere for the ancestors 

 of Father Wasmann's present ants ? Why must 



