TWO GIFTS TO FRENCH SCIENCE. 81 



up the grapevine, but were met by the brave yellow warriors, which 

 valiantly withstood their attack. Finally, the yellow ants were in 

 danger of being overwhelmed by numbers, when I suddenly per- 

 ceived that they were being re-enforced. Closer examination revealed 

 the fact that they were crawling up a neighboring vine and then drop- 

 ping from an overhanging leaf on to the leaf on the stem of which the 

 aphides were feeding. They could not reach the herd by way of the 

 original path on account of the intervening army of black ants, hence 

 their shrewd and most intelligent use of the neighboring vine and 

 overhanging leaf. I am glad to report that the yellow ants were 

 victorious, and that they completely routed the would-be robbers. 



When alarmed, the yellow ant will draw in its legs and drop to 

 the ground; moreover, this is characteristic of all vine- and tree- 

 climbing ants, Lubbock to the contrary notwithstanding. It stands 

 to reason that past experiences must have taught them that they re- 

 ceived no injury from involuntary tumbles; that they have evolved 

 the habit of voluntarily throwing themselves from an elevation in 

 order to attain certain objects does not seem to me, therefore, at all 

 wonderful or extraordinary. 



TWO GIFTS TO FKENCH SCIENCE. 



By M. HENRI DE PAEVILLE. 



MANTOINE THOMSON D'ABBADIE, of the Academy 

 • of Sciences and Bureau of Longitudes, France, who died in 

 Paris, March 20, 1897, was born in Dublin, January 3, 1810, of a 

 family of the Basses-Pyrenees temporarily residing in Ireland, but 

 which returned to France in 1815. The d'Abbadies are said to have 

 been descended from the lay monks instituted by Charlemagne to 

 defend the frontier against the incursions of the Saracens. The 

 name d'Abbadie was not originally a proper name, but the title of a 

 function (abbatia abbadia), and designated those soldiers who lived 

 in the abbeys of the Basque country, lance in hand. Hence the 

 name, which is well diffused, whether spelled with two 6s or one. 



While still very young Antoine d'Abbadie manifested an un- 

 usual curiosity concerning the unknown around him. " What is 

 there at the end of the road? " he asked his nurse. "A river," she 

 replied. " And what is beyond the river? " " A mountain." " And 

 what then?" "I don't know; I never was there." "Well," said 

 he, " I will go and see." He was the same as he grew up, always 

 wanting to know. He visited Brazil upon a mission for the Academy 

 of Sciences, and on his return joined his brother at Alexandria. 



VOL. LIY. — 7 



