202 
ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE. 
struction that the main beams, the sudden breakage of which 
would threaten the whole building and themselves therewith, 
are either spared, or else so fastened together again with a ce- 
ment made out of clay and earth that their strength is greater 
than ever ! (?) Hagen also states that they never cub right 
through the corks which stop up stored bottles of wine, but 
leave a very thin layer, which is sufficient to prevent the out- 
do w of the wine and the consequent destruction of the workers 
The same author relates that in order to reach a box of wax 
lights they made a covered road from the ground up to the 
second story of a house. 1 
It is needless to give a special description of any of 
the other habits of these insects, such as their swarming, 
breeding, &c., for they all more or less closely resemble 
the analogous habits of ants and bees. It is very remark- 
able that insects of two distinct orders should both 
manifest such closely similar social habits of such high 
complexity, and it rather surprises me that more has not 
been made of this point by writers opposed to the 
principles of evolution. Of course if the point were 
raised, the argument in answer would require to be, either 
that the similar instincts were derived from common and 
very remote progenitors (in which case the fact would form 
by far the most remarkable instance of the permanency 
of instincts among changing species), or more probably, 
that similar causes operating in the two orders have 
produced similar effects — complex and otherwise unique 
though these effects undoubtedly are. 
In connection with the theory of evolution I may 
conclude this chapter with the following quotation from 
Smeathman, as it shows how natural relation may develop 
for the benefit of the species instincts which are detri- 
mental to the individual. Speaking of the soldiers he 
says : — 
1 was always amused at the pugnacity displayed when, in 
making a hole in the earthy cemented archway of their covered 
roads, a host of these little fellows mounted the breach to cover 
the retreat of the workers. The edges of the rupture bristled 
with their armed heads as the courageous warriors ranged 
1 Geisteslehen der Tldere , pp. 194 and 199-200. 
