Des] AND SYMBOLS. 12; 



Refreshing Influences for Flagging Energies. 



In order to watch ants, Huber constructed a vivarium in 

 which they could work, and supplied them with earth, sand, 

 and other necessaries. As in this artificial state of existence the 

 insects could not procure moisture from the depths of the earth, 

 moisture from other sources was necessary. Whenever the 

 insects had ceased to work, they could almost always be induced 

 to renew their labours if water was supplied them so as to 

 descend like very fine rain upon the earth. As soon as the 

 formerly quiescent ants felt the shower they regained their 

 activity, ran about with renewed energy, and set to work upon 

 the soil. In their artificial state they especially needed re- 

 freshing influences. So do we in ours. We often feel that we 

 can work no more. Our societies and institutions sometimes 

 seem to come to a standstill. But if some refreshing influence 

 from outside is brought to bear upon us, the whole appearance 

 of things is at once changed. If we take the history of church 

 and chapel debts, and of philanthropic and political societies, 

 we shall have a long record of the instances in which the 

 suspended activities of communities were entirely resuscitated 

 by opportune refreshing influences from without. H. 



Pools as a Species. 



When we see how perverse, ridiculous, and incapable of being 

 made wise are some of the persons who thrust themselves upon 

 public notice, and observe that in all ages and countries the 

 man whom Solomon persistently designates as " the fool " has 

 been a well-known character, we are reminded of what Mr. 

 Darwin says of the goose. He remarks that " this bird deserves 

 some notice, as hardly any other anciently domesticated bird or 

 quadruped has varied so little." In the year 388 B.C. these 

 birds were kept in the capitol at Rome as sacred to Juno. But 

 the goose has proved inflexible in its organisation under long- 

 continued domestication. The chief variation which can be 

 detected is that the bird has increased in size and in productive- 

 ness, and varies from white to a dusky colour. "The amount 



