29 



case is different, as we shall find by the following nar- 

 rative. 



Some one had placed a pot of molasses in a bureau in- 

 fested by ants, which they soon found out and ate away I 

 The proprietor of the treasure drove them off. and slung 

 up his pot to the ceiling, but in doing so, left by negli- 

 gence, one of the tiny thieves behind. The overlooked 

 culprit having first taken as much as he thought good 

 for him, for ants are too prudent of course to commit 

 excess, at length thought it time to depart. To effect 

 this object, as ants do not fly, it was necessary to crawl 

 up the cord, across the ceiling, and down the walls of 

 the room all which he duly and diligently did, and so 

 in brief time rejoined his comrades. All this was straight- 

 forward work ; ants of very ordinary capacity might 

 have been equal to it. Presently, however, a whole 

 regiment of ants, rank and file, is seen to leave its 

 barracks, and direct its march upon the same object, 

 by the self same course, making the most accurate use 

 of the carte du pays which the spy had communi- 

 cated ! They scud along the ceiling, and by means of the 

 rope-ladder descend into the happy valley, in which their 

 friend had rioted before. The whole manoeuvre was exe- 

 cuted, according to the historian, in the best style no 

 jostling, no impeding each other's progress, like your foolish 

 human crowds ! The fasting descend into the pot in one 

 column, the fed make their exit in another, and the rythm 

 of march and countermarch is uninterrupted, till they have 

 licked the pot clean ! Now, all I have to say concerning 

 this story, which Mr. Ed wards relates as irrefragable proof 

 of intercommunication, is, that we must henceforth give 

 ants credit for all the following privileges. We must admit 

 that they not only feel, but remember not only remem- 

 ber, but compare not only compare, but conclude, not 

 only conclude, but remember their conclusion I and con- 

 sequently we have settled the point, that ants have ideas, 



