1. Picture a termite colony, occupying a tall mud hump on an African plain.

A. Hungry predators often invade the colony and unsettle the balance.

B. The colony flourishes only if the proportion of soldiers to workers remains roughly the same, so that the queen and workers can be protected by the soldiers, and the queen and soldiers can be serviced by the workers.

C. But its fortunes are presently restored, because the immobile queen, walled in well below ground level, lays eggs not only in large enough numbers, but also in the varying proportions required.

D. The hump is alive with worker termites and soldier termites going about their distinct kinds of business. 6. How can we account for her mysterious ability to respond like this to events on the distant surface?

6. How can we account for a mysterious ability to respond like this to events on the distant surface?