The Life of the Bee 
consciousness, beyond the protozoa even, 
which are the first nebulous representatives 
of the dawning animal kingdom, we find, 
as has been abundantly proved by the ex- 
periments of Mr. H. J. Carter, the cele- 
brated microscopist, that the very lowest 
embryos, such as the myxomycetes, mani- 
fest a will and desires and preferences ; 
and that infusoria, which apparently. have 
no organism whatever, give evidence of a 
certain cunning. The Amoeba, for in- 
stance, will patiently lie in wait for the 
new-born Acinetes, as they leave the ma- 
ternal ovary; being aware that these must 
as yet be lacking their poisonous tentacles. 
Now, the Ameebe have neither a nervous 
system nor distinguishable organs of any 
kind. Or if we turn to the plants, which, 
being motionless, would seem exposed to 
every fatality, — without pausing to con- 
sider carnivorous species like the Drusera, 
which really act as animals, —we are struck 
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