68 THE BEAUTIES OF NATURE CHAP. 



have completely lost their eyes and become 

 quite blind. 



But I must not let myself be carried away 

 by this fascinating subject, which I have 

 treated more at length in another work. 1 I 

 will only say that though their intelligence 

 is no doubt limited, still I do not think that 

 any one who has studied the life-history of 

 Ants can draw any fundamental line of sep- 

 aration between instinct and reason. 



When we see a community of Ants work- 

 ing together in perfect harmony, it is impos- 

 sible not to ask ourselves how far they are 

 mere exquisite automatons ; how far they are 

 conscious beings ? When we watch an 

 ant-hill tenanted by thousands of industrious 

 inhabitants, excavating chambers, forming 

 tunnels, making roads, guarding their home, 

 gathering food, feeding the young, tending 

 their domestic animals each one fulfilling 

 its duties industriously, and without con- 

 fusion, it is difficult altogether to deny 

 to them the gift of reason ; and all our 



1 Ants, Bees, and Wasps. 



