42 ANTS AND ANT LIFE. 



of its cocoon, while the ants generally (apparently always, 

 L. B.) need the aid of their companions. Lastly, the slave- 

 making, the keeping of Aphides as domestic animals, and a 

 number of other traits in their habits, are proofs of their men- 

 tal superiority over bees, whose customs are simpler and 

 more uniform. Especially do they surpass all other animals 

 by their social instinct, or tendency to association, which 

 shows a kind of collective or co-operative reason ; this is 

 indeed so great that we are involuntarily reminded of the 

 little hostile communities of primitive men, and are compelled 

 to think that the union of the individual intelligence of the 

 higher Mammalia with the development of this associative 

 tendency would have sufficed to produce man, with all his 

 capacities ; a thought which Darwin has followed out in 

 detail in the third chapter of his book on man. No other 

 animal shows such remarkable proofs of this associative 

 propensity as do the ants. Swammerdam (1637 1680) 

 compared the societies of ants to the early Christian com- 

 munities. And it may be said that the ants have shown us 

 a specimen of Socialism in practice, carried to its furthest 

 consequences. Labor is quite free and unenforced^ there 

 are no chiefs nor overseers. Each ant is ready at any 

 moment, without any kind of compulsion, to offer up his life 

 for the community." 



" The similarity of ant societies to those of men becomes 

 especially striking if we observe the reciprocal relations 

 between the various colonies. There are wars, truces, 

 alliances, plunderings, robberies, surprises, tactics, stratagems 

 of war. Nothing fails there of all that which man is 

 accustomed to see. Especially remarkable are the alliances, 

 and the executions of enemies ; also the truces, which, after 

 repeated battles are arranged between two hostile tribes or 

 colonies." 



Ants also show a great resemblance to men in the develop- 

 ment of their character. To their great attachment and 

 self -sacrifice for the commonwealth and for each member of it, 

 are united generally a hasty temperament, prone to furious 

 anger, and an unquenchable hatred against all foreign or 

 hostile colonies. Therewith are blended industry, perse- 

 verance, and often cruelty. Also gluttony is one of their 

 characteristics, as will later be more exactly shown : and 

 their love for a good meal is so great, that it is thus possible 



