Lord Avebury is, however, of opinion that such insects can transmit simpler ideas. He found, for example, that where ants were put to a large and a small store of larvæ under similar circumstances, a greater number of insects followed the ant that had discovered the larger store. This may, indeed, have been due rather to a difference in manner than to any intentional communication; but the fact remains that through some difference of behaviour there resulted suggestive effects on other members of the community. But although there can be little doubt that the behaviour of social insects has suggestive value for others, it may still be regarded as very doubtful whether they are able to communicate information to one another by any system of language or signs, purposively employed as a system to this end. The distinguished geologist, Hague, communicated to Darwin[85] the effects on ants of crushing some of their number as they proceeded along a definite trail. “As soon as those ants which were approaching arrived near to where their fellows lay dead and suffering, they turned and fled with all possible haste.” “When such an ant, returning in fright, met another approaching, the two would always communicate, but each would pursue its own way, the second ant continuing its journey to the spot where the first had turned about, and then following that example.” There seems nothing to show that the “communication” here was effective. From the many anecdotes of dogs calling others to their assistance, or bringing others to those who feed them or treat them kindly, we may indeed infer the existence of a social tendency and of the suggestive effects of behaviour, but we cannot derive conclusive evidence of anything like descriptive communication. And although domestic animals may learn or be taught to associate the words we utter with certain acts or things, or may even, in a sense, communicate their wishes to us by special modes of behaviour--as in the case of Lord Avebury’s poodle, Van,[86] who was taught to bring cards on which such words as “Food” or “Out” were printed, and in that of a cat which touches the handle of the door when she wants it opened for her,--still, all these are founded on direct association, and are in a line with the act of Mr. Thorndike’s cat, which licked herself or scratched herself when imprisoned in a cage, such act having entered into the association-complex.