THE INTELLIGENCE OF ' 'THE LOWER ANIMALS". 87 



ally do eat now and then, they must absolutely be fed 

 by their slaves, if they are to remain alive. You may 

 prepare for them the most pleasant dwelling and the 

 most exquisite nourishment; if you neglect to provide 

 them with slaves, they are doomed. Their desire for 

 nourishment impels them only to seek it from their 

 slaves, but never to make an attempt at independent 

 nutrition. Therefore, this ant apparently so intelli- 

 gent in its warlike operations, is so abnormally stupid 

 and helpless in private life, as not to be able to estab- 

 lish the simple relation between the promptings of ap- 

 petite and independent nutrition, and prefers death to 

 making use of its faculty of eating. But a being that 

 is capable of eating and from experience knows how 

 to eat, yet even in the greatest necessities with unex- 

 ceptional regularity, prefers to die than to eat 

 independently, is a rather poor specimen of ant 

 intelligence. There can be no question here of 

 some error of judgment, as may occur in man en- 

 dowed with intelligence. Real error cannot be a nor- 

 mal occurence; it is never found in all individuals of 

 the same species; it cannot be committed, unless there 

 is at least some appearance of truth and some influence 

 of passion or prejudice. Regarding the actions in 

 question, however, all the circumstances point not to 

 an accidental error, but to an entire absence of intelli- 

 gence. For in the first place, these actions are entire- 

 ly useless for the individuals performing them. Sec- 

 ondly, they occur with all the individuals so far 

 observed both in Europe and in America. Finally, 

 there can be no question of the influence of their will 

 under the stress of some passion or predilection. For 



