Built on small pebbles

Too Long; Didn't Read

Built on small pebbles which one can carry whither one will, remove, or interchange, without disturbing either the work of the constructor or the quiet of the inhabitants of the cells, the nests of Chalicodoma muraria lend themselves readily to experiment—the only method capable of throwing a little light on the nature of instinct. Profitably to study the physical faculties of the animal it is not enough to know how to turn to account such circumstances as a happy chance may offer to the observer: one must be capable of originating others, and vary them as much as possible and submit them to mutual control; in short, to give science a solid basis of fact one must experiment. Then some day will vanish before the evidence of exact documents the fantastic legends which cumber our books, such as the Scarabæus inviting his comrades to help in dragging his ball out of a rut, or a Sphex cutting up a fly to carry it in spite of the wind, and much more which is misused by those who desire to see in the animal world that which is not there. Thus, too, will materials be prepared which, used sooner or later by a learned hand, will cast premature and baseless theories back into oblivion.