THE RELIGION OF NATURE 



ants which are found in hot countries, you will see 

 warrior ants, whose bodies have been bitten off, 

 swaggering about in the absurdest manner and 

 challenging all comers. 



In the same way that the different parts of an 

 insect's body work in harmony, although each is 

 moved by an independent instinct which is only 

 inherited habit or tendency so the different mem- 

 bers of an insect community work in harmony 

 although there is no concert between them and 

 each is merely going on steadily with the work 

 that it was born to do. In the same way with 

 higher animals, other than man, there is no con- 

 certed plan of action in their communities; but 

 each individual follows its own instinct, which is 

 good for the community: otherwise it would not 

 have been inherited. 



Thus, when wolves hunt together they do not 

 hunt in concert. Each pursues the prey to the 

 best of his ability and the combined ability of the 

 pack generally runs the prey down. Beavers, con- 

 structing a dam, work all together for a common 

 end: but each member is vigorously obeying his 

 own natural instinct only. 



We sometimes read, indeed, about herds of ani- 

 mals or flocks of birds putting out sentinels to 

 give them warning of danger. If they did so this 

 would be concerted action; because in such herds 





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