THE PEEFEOT SOCIALISM 71 



which the foragers feed the hungry. An individual 

 seldom asks in vain for food. In spite of the thriftiness, 

 the instinct of sharing is stronger than the instinct of 

 accumulation. The generosity of these insect citizens 

 toward each other is an ideal which still lies beyond the 

 horizon of accomplishment in the human world. 



The termite workers are of both sexes, and their 

 industry is such that they prove a terrible plague in 

 the tropical countries, where they abound. Our native 

 species tunnel their nests in wood, and are, in fact, very 

 skilful engineers, for they build covered ways, under 

 which they work. A feat not only of engineering skill 

 but skill in reasoning came to our eyes in our own 

 insectary. A piece of rotten wood tunnelled by termites 

 was put on a formicary which consisted of a board sm-- 

 rounded by a moat filled with water. As the queens of 

 om" native termites have never been discovered, we are 

 unable to keep these little creatures contented in artifi- 

 cial nests. Thus the ones under observation were 

 always seeking avenues of escape. They tried the moat 

 at every point. Finally they observed that one end of 

 their nest-log projected out beyond the outer edge of the 

 moat, although several inches above it. At once they 

 commenced building a covered way straight down from 

 the projecting end, thus bridging the hated ditch with 

 neatness and despatch. 



