64 Chapter IV. 



owing to the various sense experiences of single indi- 

 viduals. These two circumstances unquestionably af- 

 ford a more scientific and simpler explanation of the 

 so-called individual characters of dogs, horses, lizards, 

 and ants, than is offered by ascribing differences of 

 character to them similar to those which exist in human 

 beings. However, Forel does not accept this shift, as 

 he expressly declares. Anyhow, he can hardly avoid 

 admitting that his appeal to "embryos of talents, of 

 geniuses of will-power and their contrary," in indi- 

 viduals of several species of animals, has proved nothing 

 against our views of the psychic faculties of animals. 



Another critic 1 expresses his satisfaction that we 

 have restored to the term "instinct" its due rights and 

 claims. Still, he thinks that at least a wee dose of true 

 and genuine intelligence should be conceded to ants in 

 order to facilitate the explanation of various facts. He 

 attempts the following proof : 



"The manifold phenomena of ant life apparently 

 furnish examples of some power of thought. A few 

 years ago I observed in the Gruenewald, near Berlin, 

 a colony of the large hill ant (Formica rufa) in full ac- 

 tivity. The nest was situated on a path in the wood. 

 The ants moved rapidly to and fro on a track trodden 

 out by themselves. It led for several yards from the 

 nest into the wood to a fir tree. Returning to their 

 nests, the ants dragged all sorts of provisions flies, 

 small larvae, pieces of plants, etc. Suddenly I observed 

 two ants returning from the wood and dragging a 



l ) In a discussion of our book: "Die zusammengesetzten Nester 

 und gemischten Kolonien der Ameisen," in the "Naturwissenschaft- 

 liche Rundschrift" (Berlin), 7, No. 25, vom 16 Juni, 1892. 



