ANT COMMUNITIES 



one may not affirm. But that it is conveyed, he read- 

 ily sees. 



Two battling armies of the pavement ant (Tetramorium 

 coespitum) are massed on the edge of a flagstone walk. 

 A column of highly excited warriors is streaming from 

 the scene of action to the home nest of one of the com- 

 batants, from which issues a group of peaceful citizens. 

 The two lines meet. Antenna are crossed, a quick, 

 sharp action, and the messengers for such they are- 

 hasten on homeward. Note the result. Some myste- 

 rious influence has passed from one to another. The 

 peaceful citizens are transformed into combatants raging 

 with the lust of war, and with every bodily member 

 a-quiver, rush into the thick of the battle hurly-burly 

 to reinforce their comrades. Was there not antennal 

 communication between couriers and recruits? 



Here is a case recorded by Lord Avebury [Av. 1, p. 75], 

 which strikingly illustrates this function of antenna?. 

 A worker of the dark Lasius (Lasius niger) was occupied 

 in carrying off larvae to her nest. At night she was 

 imprisoned, and, being released at 6.15 A.M., immediately 

 resumed her occupation. At 9 A.M. she was again im- 

 prisoned until 4.40 P.M., when she was put once more 

 to the larvae. She examined them carefully, but went 

 home empty handed. At this time no other ants Were 

 outside the nests. In less than a minute the original 

 worker, which had been marked with a dot of paint, 

 came out with eight friends, and all trooped off toward 

 the heap of larvae. 



When they had gone two-thirds of the way the 

 marked Lasius was imprisoned, whereupon the others 

 hesitated for a few minutes and then returned home. 

 They evidently missed their leader's guidance. At 



152 



