THE SWARM 



and union, to busy themselves with their 

 dwelling-, to return to it after their jour- 

 neys, etc., etc. And on this foundation 

 arise the architecture, the g-eometr>-, the 

 order, the foresight, love of countr}-, — in 

 a word, the republic ; all springing, as we 

 have seen, from the admiration of the 

 obser\"er." 



There we have our bees explained in a 

 very ditterent fashion. And if it seem 

 more natural at first, is it not for the very 

 simple reason that it really explains al- 

 most nothing? I will not allude to the 

 material errors this chapter contains : I 

 will only ask v/hether the mere fact of 

 the bees accepting a common existence, 

 while doing each other the least possible 

 harm, does not in itself argue a certain 



[72] 



