Tlie AnVs Highway . 13 



is the prerogative of reason. Ants cannot, under 

 certain conditions, distinguish their own special 

 haunts. Across a garden path I frequented there 

 was the track of innumerable ants ; their ceaseless 

 journeyings had worn a visible path leading from 

 the border on one side to the border on the other, 

 where was a tiu}^ hole, into which they each disap- 

 peared in turn. Happily, the garden was neglected, 

 otherwise the besom of the gardener would have swept 

 away all traces of the highway they had made. 

 AYatching the stream of life pouring swiftly along 

 the track, it seemed to me that, like men walking 

 hurriedl}^ in well-known streets, they took no note of 

 marks or bearings, but followed each other unhesi- 

 tatingl}' in the groove. 



When street-pavements are torn up, the human 

 stream disperses and flows out on either side till it 

 discovers by experience the most convenient make- 

 shift passage. What would be the result if this 

 Watling-street of the ants were interrupted ? With a 

 fragment of wood I rubbed out three inches of the 

 path worn in the shallow film of soil deposited over 

 the old gravel, smoothing that much down level. 

 Instantly the crowd came to a stop. The foremost 

 ant halted at the edge where the groove now termi- 

 nated, turned round, and had an excited conversation 

 with the next b}' means of their antennsB ; a third 

 came up, a fourth and fifth — a crowd collected, in 

 fact. Now, there was no real obstruction — nothing 

 to prevent them from rushing across to the spot 

 where the path recommenced. Why, then, did they 

 pause ? Wh}', presently, begin to explore, right and 

 left, darting to one side and then to the other exam- 



