66 Chapter IV. 



the colony and the common welfare ; it follows further, 

 that her companion whose weakness prevented her from 

 frustrating this selfish design, applied to the police, and 

 that these officers of the law were soon on the spot, 

 understood the state of affairs and thwarted the thief's 

 plan. The companion which ran to the nest was prob- 

 ably one of the three, and perhaps it was she who finally 

 conveyed the prey to her kinsfolk, when the protection 

 of the police ants seemed no longer necessary. Instinct 

 alone does not offer a sufficient explanation of these 

 facts, and that is why I have related them." 



Is it possible to take exception to this attractive 

 proof of intelligence in ants? Let us see, whether the 

 case is exactly as it is represented by our critic in the 

 "Naturwissenschaftliche Wochenschrift." 



According to his ''interpretation/' a member of the 

 colony intended to set aside part of the prey for a pri- 

 vate larder, because her daintiness surpassed her affec- 

 tion for her companions. What would psychologically 

 follow from this fact ? Nothing more than a proof that 

 ants possess the power of sensile perception and appe- 

 tite. In the present case, one sensile perception prevailed 

 over another. But all further conclusions are unwar- 

 ranted. What right, then, has our critic to imagine 

 that the first ant was suspected of "fraudulent practises," 

 was a "thief," and "humanly speaking," intended to 

 accumulate a separate store for herself? These terms 

 convey much more; they ascribe to ants a knowledge 

 of "mine" and "thine," which is based upon delibera- 

 tion ; they insinuate a knowledge of "property" and 

 of "duty." But, pray, where are the proofs for these 

 gratuitous assertions? The truth is, that the observer 



