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too great a load for a single Eciton ; the triumphant march of the 

 army back to their own dwelling follows. The lives of these warrior 

 ants are not all spent either in marauding expeditions, or in the 

 labours of their formicariura ; they were frequently observed in some 

 sunny nook of the forest, leisurely strolling about, apparently finding 

 much enjoyment in doing the lazy; some individuals reciprocally 

 brushing and cleaning each other's antennae ; another lazy fellow, 

 stretched at full length, pushing forth first one leg and then another 

 towards a companion engaged in washing those members, by passing 

 them between his jaws and tongue, finishing his friendly offices by a 

 gentle wipe of his antennae. 



Well may the naturalist observe, " It was a curious spectacle, and 

 one well calculated to increase one's amazement at the similarity be- 

 tween the instinctive actions of ants and the acts of rational beings, 

 a similarity which must have been brought about by two different 

 processes of development of -the primary qualities of Mind : the 

 actions of these ants looked like simple indulgence in idle amuse- 

 ment." 



I must refrain from further extracts. I have shown you that the 

 beauties of the insect world are pourtrayed by the hand of a master, 

 and how much the true science of Entomology teems in every chapter. 

 I have quoted more than enough to establish the observation with 

 which I started, namely, that this work is the most infporlant contri- 

 bution to Entomology made during the past year ; and I can assure 

 you that on arriving at the conclusion of the last chapter I felt as if, 

 in the language of the author on quitting Brazil, I was taking " a last 

 view of the glorious old forest :" the spell by which I had been bound 

 was suddenly broken. Well, then, on the 2nd of June, 1859, might 

 the naturalist cast a lingering gaze upon the land for which he had so 

 much love, and to explore which he had devoted so many y^ars ; well 

 might it prove the saddest hour to him when he passed out of sight 

 of that land, which he has fittingly called the Naturalist's Paradise. 



Gentlemen, I have to thank you for your kind attention to the 

 observations I have had the honour of making from this chair; and, 

 as I quit it this evening, I embrace this opportunity of offering you 

 ray most sincere acknowledgment of the never-failing kind support 

 which you have on all occasions afforded me. It would be impossible 

 for me to characterize my term of office as one of unalloyed pleasure ; 

 it has been far otherwise ; it has, however, been my endeavour to 

 cherish on all occasions that good feeling amongst us which is the 



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