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LETTER XVIL 



SOCIETIES OF INSECTS — continued. 

 PERFECT SOCIETIES. (WHITE ANTS AND ANTS.) 



The associations of insects of which my last letter gave you 

 a detail were of a very imperfect kind, both as to their object 

 and duration : but those which I am now to lay before you 

 exhibit the semblance of a nearer approach, both in their 

 principle and its results, to the societies of man himself. 

 There are two kindred sentiments that in these last act with 

 most powerful energy — desire and affection. From the first 

 proceed many wants that cannot be satisfied without the 

 intercourse, aid, and co-operation of others ; and by the last 

 we are impelled to seek the good of certain objects, and to 

 delight in their society. Thus self-love combines with phi- 

 lanthropy to produce the social principle, both desire and 

 love alternately urging us to an intercourse with each other ; 

 and from these in union originate the multiplication and 

 preservation of the species. These two passions are the 

 master-movers in this business; but there is a third sub- 

 sidiary to them, which, though it trenches upon the social 

 principle, considered abstractedly, is often a powerful bond of 

 union in separate societies — you will readily perceive that I 

 am speaking of fear ; — under the influence of this passion 

 these are drawn closer together, and unite more intimately 

 for defence against some common enemy, and to raise works 

 of munition that may resist his attack. 



The main instrument of association is language, and no 

 association can be perfect where there is not a common tongue. 

 The origin of nationality was difference of speech : at Babel, 

 when tongues were divided, nations separated. Language 

 may be understood in a larger sense than to signify inflections 

 of the voice, — it may well include all the means of making 

 yourself understood by another, whether by gestures, sounds, 



