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she stretches herself out； purring with affection and contentment
and lifts up a soft voice and says； 〃Come； kitties； supper's
ready〃； we understand her when she goes mourning about and says；
〃Where can they be？ They are lost。 Won't you help me hunt for
them？〃 and we understand the disreputable Tom when he challenges
at midnight from his shed； 〃You come over here； you product of
immoral commerce； and I'll make your fur fly！〃 We understand a
few of a dog's phrases and we learn to understand a few of the
remarks and gestures of any bird or other animal that we
domesticate and observe。 The clearness and exactness of the few
of the hen's speeches which we understand is argument that she
can communicate to her kind a hundred things which we cannot
comprehendin a word； that she can converse。 And this argument
is also applicable in the case of others of the great army of the
Unrevealed。 It is just like man's vanity and impertinence to
call an animal dumb because it is dumb to his dull perceptions。
Now as to the ant
Y。M。 Yes； go back to the ant； the creature thatas you
seem to thinksweeps away the last vestige of an intellectual
frontier between man and the Unrevealed。
O。M。 That is what she surely does。 In all his history the
aboriginal Australian never thought out a house for himself and
built it。 The ant is an amazing architect。 She is a wee little
creature； but she builds a strong and enduring house eight feet
higha house which is as large in proportion to her size as is
the largest capitol or cathedral in the world compared to man's
size。 No savage race has produced architects who could approach
the air in genius or culture。 No civilized race has produced
architects who could plan a house better for the uses proposed
than can hers。 Her house contains a throne…room； nurseries for
her young； granaries； apartments for her soldiers； her workers；
etc。； and they and the multifarious halls and corridors which
communicate with them are arranged and distributed with an
educated and experienced eye for convenience and adaptability。
Y。M。 That could be mere instinct。
O。M。 It would elevate the savage if he had it。 But let us
look further before we decide。 The ant has soldiersbattalions；
regiments； armies； and they have their appointed captains and
generals； who lead them to battle。
Y。M。 That could be instinct； too。
O。M。 We will look still further。 The ant has a system of
government； it is well planned； elaborate； and is well carried on。
Y。M。 Instinct again。
O。M。 She has crowds of slaves； and is a hard and unjust
employer of forced labor。
Y。M。 Instinct。
O。M。 She has cows； and milks them。
Y。M。 Instinct； of course。
O。M。 In Texas she lays out a farm twelve feet square； plants it；
weeds it； cultivates it； gathers the crop and stores it away。
Y。M。 Instinct； all the same。
O。M。 The ant discriminates between friend and stranger。
Sir John Lubbock took ants from two different nests； made them
drunk with whiskey and laid them； unconscious； by one of the
nests； near some water。 Ants from the nest came and examined and
discussed these disgraced creatures； then carried their friends
home and threw the strangers overboard。 Sir John repeated the
experiment a number of times。 For a time the sober ants did as
they had done at firstcarried their friends home and threw the
strangers overboard。 But finally they lost patience； seeing that
their reformatory efforts went for nothing； and threw both
friends and strangers overboard。 Comeis this instinct； or is
it thoughtful and intelligent discussion of a thing new
absolutely newto their experience； with a verdict arrived at；
sentence passed； and judgment executed？ Is it instinct？thought
petrified by ages of habitor isn't it brand…new thought；
inspired by the new occasion； the new circumstances？
Y。M。 I have to concede it。 It was not a result of habit；
it has all the look of reflection； thought； putting this and that
together； as you phrase it。 I believe it was thought。
O。M。 I will give you another instance of thought。 Franklin
had a cup of sugar on a table in his room。 The ants got at it。
He tried several preventives； and ants rose superior to them。
Finally he contrived one which shut off accessprobably set the
table's legs in pans of water； or drew a circle of tar around the
cup； I don't remember。 At any rate； he watched to see what they
would do。 They tried various schemesfailures； every one。 The
ants were badly puzzled。 Finally they held a consultation；
discussed the problem； arrived at a decisionand this time they
beat that great philosopher。 They formed in procession； cross
the floor； climbed the wall； marched across the ceiling to a
point just over the cup； then one by one they let go and fell
down into it！ Was that instinctthought petrified by ages of
inherited habit？
Y。M。 No； I don't believe it was。 I believe it was a newly
reasoned scheme to meet a new emergency。
O。M。 Very well。 You have conceded the reasoning power in
two instances。 I come now to a mental detail wherein the ant is
a long way the superior of any human being。 Sir John Lubbock
proved by many experiments that an ant knows a stranger ant of
her own species in a moment； even when the stranger is disguised
with paint。 Also he proved that an ant knows every individual
in her hive of five hundred thousand souls。 Also； after a year's
absence one of the five hundred thousand she will straightway
recognize the returned absentee and grace the recognition with a
affectionate welcome。 How are these recognitions made？ Not by
color； for painted ants were recognized。 Not by smell； for ants
that had been dipped in chloroform were recognized。 Not by
speech and not by antennae signs nor contacts； for the drunken
and motionless ants were recognized and the friend discriminated
from the stranger。 The ants were all of the same species；
therefore the friends had to be recognized by form and feature
friends who formed part of a hive of five hundred thousand！ Has
any man a memory for form and feature approaching that？
Y。M。 Certainly not。
O。M。 Franklin's ants and Lubbuck's ants show fine
capacities of putting this and that together in new and untried
emergencies and deducting smart conclusions from the
combinationsa man's mental process exactly。 With memory to
help； man preserves his observations and reasonings； reflects
upon them； adds to them； recombines； and so proceeds； stage by
stage； to far resultsfrom the teakettle to the ocean
greyhound's complex engine； from personal labor to slave labor；
from wigwam to palace； from the capricious chase to agriculture
and stored food； from nomadic life to stable government and
concentrated authority； from incoherent hordes to massed armies。
The ant has observation； the reasoning faculty； and the
preserving adjunct of a prodigious memory； she has duplicated
man's development and the essential features of his civilization；
and you call it all instinct！
Y。M。 Perhaps I lacked the reasoning faculty myself。
O。M。 Well； don't tell anybody； and don't do it again。
Y。M。 We have come a good way。 As a resultas I understand it
I am required to concede that there is absolutely no intellectual
frontier separating Man and the Unrevealed Creatures？
O。M。 That is what you are required to concede。 There is no
such frontierthere is no way to get around that。 Man has a
finer and more capable machine in him than those others； but it
is the same machine and works in the same way。 And neither he
nor those others can command the machineit is strictly
automatic； independent of control； works when it pleases； and
when it doesn't please； it can't be forced。
Y。M。 Then man and the other animals are all alike； as to mental
machinery； and there isn't any difference of any stupendous
magnitude between them； except in quality； not in kind。
O。M。 That is about the state of itintellectuality。 There
are pronounced limitations on both sides。 We can't learn to
understand much of their language； but the dog； the elephant；
etc。； learn to understand a very great deal of ours。 To that
extent they are our superiors。 On the other hand； they can't
learn reading； writing； etc。； nor any of our fine and high
things； and there we have a large advantage over them。
Y。M。 Very well； let them have what they've got； and welcome；
there is still a wall； and a lofty one。 They haven't got the
Moral Sense； we have it； and it lifts us immeasurably above them。
O。M。 What makes you think that？
Y。M。 Now look herelet's call a halt。 I have stood the
other infamies and insanities and that is enough； I am not going
to have man and the other animals put on the same level morally。
O。M。 I wasn't going to hoist man up to that。
Y。M。 This is too much！ I think it is not