68 THE BEAUTIES OF NATURE chap. 



have completely lost their eyes and become 

 quite blind. 



But I must not let myself be carried away 

 by this fascinating subject, which I have 

 treated more at length in another work.^ I 

 will only say that though their intelligence 

 is no doubt liiuited, still I do not think that 

 any one who has studied the life-history of 

 Ants can draw any fundamental line of sep- 

 aration between instinct and reason. 



When we see a community of Ants work- 

 ing together in perfect harmony, it is impos- 

 sible not to ask ourselves how far they are 

 mere exquisite automatons ; how far they are 

 conscious beings ? When we watch an 

 ant-hill tenanted by thousands of industrious 

 inhabitants, excavating chambers, forming 

 tunnels, making roads, guarding their home, 

 gathering food, feeding the young, tending 

 their domestic animals — each one fulfilling 

 its duties industriously, and without con- 

 fusion, — it is difficult altogether to deny 

 to them the gift of reason ; and all our 



1 Ants, Bees, and Wasps. 



