LOWER ANIMALS. 23 1 



DARWIN ON THE COCCUS AND THE ANT. 



"The female coccus, while young, attaches itself by its proboscis 

 to a plant ; sucks the sap, but never moves again ; is fertilized and 

 lays eggs; and this is its whole history. On the other hand, to de- 

 scribe the habits and mental powers of a female ant would require, 

 as Pierre Huber has shown, a large volume ; I may, however, briefly 

 specify a few points. Ants communicate information to each other, 

 and several unite for the same work, or games of play. They 

 recognize their fellow ants after months of absence. They build 

 great edifices, keep them clean, close the doors in the evening, and 

 post sentries. They make roads and even tunnels under rivers. 

 They collect food for the community, and when an object too large 

 for entrance is brought to the nest, they enlarge the door, and after- 

 wards build it up again. They go out to battle in regular bands, 

 and freely sacrifice their lives for the common weal. They emigrate 

 in accordance with a preconcerted plan. They capture slaves. 

 They keep Aphides as Milch-cows. They move the eggs of the 

 aphides as well as their own eggs and cocoons, into warm parts 

 of the nest, in order that they may be quickly hatched ; and end- 

 less similar facts could be given. On the whole, the difference 

 in mental power between an ant and a coccus is immense; yet 

 no one has ever dreamed of placing them in distinct classes, much 

 less in distinct kingdoms." 26 



In comparison to its size, the ant is the most intelligent of all 

 living creatures, and by the same comparison it is the longest lived. 

 Sir John Lubbock kept a queen ant for fourteen years and he did 

 not know how old she was when he got her. If men lived as long 

 for their size we would have some of the inhabitants of ancient 

 Babylon and Egypt living amongst us as young men. 



(26) Descent of Man, Vol I, p. 179. 



