IV 
THE LIFE OF THE BEE 
[45] 
ET us now, in order to form a 
clearer conception of the bees’ in- 
tellectual power, proceed to consider their 
methods of inter-communication. There 
can be no doubting that they understand 
each other; and indeed it were surely 
impossible for a republic so considerable, 
wherein the labours are so varied and so 
marvellously combined, to subsist amid 
the silence and spiritual isolation of so 
many thousand creatures. They must be 
able, therefore, to give expression to 
thoughts and feelings, by means either 
of a phonetic vocabulary or more prob- 
159 
