DARWINISM AND OTHER BRANCHES OF SCIENCE. 35 i 



sible that the wondrous and complex phenomena known as 

 life are purely material ? Can a particle of matter which 

 consists only of a definite number of atoms of definite 

 chemical composition manifest any of those characters 

 which characterize life ? Take as an extreme instance the 

 brain of an ant, which is not larger than a quarter of a 

 good- sized pin's head. It would require a volume to 

 describe what we know of the powers of ants. Huber 

 showed this long ago, and Lord Avebury has lately 

 reminded us of it, while adding further discoveries of 

 his own. 



I here quote Darwin's vivid description ; but it is 

 only right to add that many different species of ants are 

 referred to, though included under the common designa- 

 tion : " Ants certainly communicate information to each 

 other, and several unite for the same work, or for games 

 of play. They recognise their fellow-ants after months of 

 absence, and feel sympathy for each other. They build 

 great edifices, keep them clean, close the door in the even- 

 ing, and post sentries. They make roads as well as tun- 

 nels under rivers, and temporary bridges over them by 

 clinging together. They collect food for the community, 

 and when an object too large for entrance is brought to 

 the nest, they enlarge the door, and afterwards build it up 

 again. They store up seeds of which they prevent the 

 germination, and which if damp are brought to the sur- 

 face to dry. They keep aphides and other insects as milch 

 cows. They go out to battle in regular bands, and freely 

 sacrifice their lives for the common weal. They emigrate 

 according to a peculiar plan. They capture slaves. They 

 move the eggs of their aphides, as well as their own eggs 



