312 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



by one specimen, which Sir John used to place in solitary 

 confinement in a bottle for hours, and once for days ; but the 

 moment released it commenced its laborious larvae-ffatherinsf 

 propensities. It seems, from other experiments, that ants in 

 difficulties within sight of their companions are by no means 

 always assisted or relieved ; other attractions, food and such 

 like, possessing greater interest for them. On putting some 

 specimens under the influence of chloroform, little or no no- 

 tice was taken of those insensible by their companions, the 

 tendency apparently being to let friends lie, and throw over 

 the edge of the board strangers thus chloroformed. It seems 

 that to get ants properly intoxicated with spirit for experi- 

 mental purposes is no easy matter, some recovering too 

 quickly and others remaining so thoroughly dead-drunk as 

 to come under the rank of impracticables ; while between 

 reeling friends and strangers the experimenter finds himself 

 baffled. The sober ants are exceedingly puzzled at finding 

 their friends in such a condition. As a general rule, they 

 picked up drunken friends and carried them to the nest, 

 while they threw into the water and drowned strangers. 

 In some instances confusion arose, for a few of the strangers 

 were carried to the nest and friends tumbled into the water; 

 but thev did not return to the rescue of the friends, though 

 strangers were afterwards expelled from the nest. Sir John 

 expresses surprise that ants of one nest perfectly well know 

 each other. Even after a year's separation old companions 

 are recognized and amicably received ; whereas strangers, 

 particularly among the Lasi us flames, are almost invariably 

 attacked and maltreated, even when introduced in the mixed 

 company of old friends. Sight cannot be acute. For exam- 

 ple : in experiments food was placed on a glass slip a few 

 inches from the nest, the straight road to and from the nest 

 being soon familiar to the ants; but when the food had been 

 shifted only a short distance from its first position, it was 

 long ere it was discovered. Indeed, they wandered from a 

 iew minutes to half an hour in the most extraordinary cir- 

 cuitous routes before finding out the direct road between the 

 nest and food, and vice versa. Slavery in certain genera is 

 a positive institution the Amazon ants (Poli/ergus rufescens) 

 absolutely requiring slave assistants to clean, to dress, and to 

 feed them, else they will rather die than help themselves, 



