THE SWARM 51 



independent either of knowledge, or reason, or aim. The 

 mother-bee produces ten thousand individuals at a time, and 

 in the same place ; these ten thousand individuals, were they 

 a thousand times stupider than I suppose them to be, would 

 be compelled, for the mere purpose of existence, to contrive 

 some form of arrangement ; and, assuming that they had 

 begun by injuring each other, they would, as each one pos- 

 sesses the same strength as its fellow, soon have ended by 

 doing each other the least possible harm, or, in other words, 

 by rendering assistance. They have the appearance of under- 

 standing each other, and of working for a common aim ; and 

 the observer therefore is apt to endow them with reasons and 

 intellect that they truly are far from possessing. He will 

 pretend to account for each action, show a reason behind 

 every movement ; and from thence the gradation is easy 

 to proclaiming them marvels, or monsters, of innumerable 

 ideas. Whereas the truth is that these ten thousand indivi- 

 duals that have been produced simultaneously, that have lived 

 together, and undergone metamorphosis at more or less the 

 same time, cannot fail all to do the same thing, and are 

 compelled, however slight the sentiment within them, to 

 adopt common habits, to live in accord and union, to busy 

 themselves with their dwelling, to return to it after their 

 journeys, &c. &c. And on this foundation arise the archi- 

 tecture, the geometry, the order, the foresight, love of country ; 

 in a word, the republic ; all springing, as we have seen, from 

 the admiration of the observer." 



There we have our bees explained in a very different 

 fashion., And if it seem more natural at firstj is it not for 

 the very simple reason that it really explains almost nothing ? 



