ANT COMMUNITIES 



For example, in the agricultural ant, in which the author 

 has studied them most carefully, they consist of the 

 poison gland and sac, the accessory organ or oil sac, and 

 the stinging apparatus. These are all situated in the 

 lower portion of the apex of the abdomen, close to the 

 ventral surface, and are covered by the final ventral plates. 



The word "sting" as commonly used cannot be applied 

 to any one organ, but expresses rather a combination of 

 three organs, one of which, the sting-case, is single; the 

 others, the stinging-prickles and the out-sheath which 

 encloses them, are double. They are supported within 

 the apex of the abdomen, and are operated by a most 

 ingenious system of levers and muscles. The sting-case 

 is somewhat curved toward its chiselled point, which 

 resembles a carpenter's gouge. In the act of stinging 

 this gouge makes the first incision. 



The two shafts of the stinging-prickles in repose are 

 contained within the sting-case, but are thrust out 

 alternately when the ant stings, entering the wound 

 made by the gouge, aggravating it, and injecting the 

 poison. The prickles are slender, sharp, hollow tri- 

 angular chitinous rods with barbed points. The pos- 

 terior parts, or shafts, which lie alongside each other 

 within the sting-case, are straight below, but at the top, 

 or anterior part, are bent away from each other, form- 

 ing the bows. Each stinging-prickle thus consists of a 

 shaft and bow which, as operated in action, serves the 

 purpose of a spear, or lance, and bow and arrow. The 

 force of human muscles by which the ancient artillery 

 was made effective has its analogue in the protruder 

 and retractor muscles of the ant, attached to the bow 

 of the prickles, by which the shafts, with their pair of 

 six-barbed needles, are forced out and drawn back. 



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