54 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



One might, at first sight, be disposed to consider that the ants 

 with stings must have a great advantage over those with none. In 

 some cases, however, the poison is so strong that it is sufiicient for it 

 to touch the foes to place them hors de combat, or at least to render 

 them incapacitated, with every appearance of extreme pain. Such 

 species have the abdomen unusually mobile. 



The species of Lasius make up in numbers what they want in 

 strength. Several of them seize an enemy at once, one by each of her 

 legs or antennae, and, when they have once taken hold, they will suf- 

 fer themselves to be cut in pieces rather than let go. 



Polyergus rufescens, the celebrated slave-making or Amazon ant, 

 has a mode of combat almost peculiar to herself. The jaws are very 

 powerful and pointed. If attacked if, for instance, another ant 

 seizes her by a leg she at once takes her enemy's head into her jaws, 

 which generally makes her quit her hold. If she does not, the Polyer- 

 gus closes her mandibles, so that the points pierce the brain of her 

 enemy, paralyzing the nervous system. The victim falls in convul- 

 sions, setting free her terrible foe. In this manner a comparatively 

 small force of Polyergus will fearlessly attack much larger armies of 

 other species, and sufier themselves scarcely any loss. 



Much of what has been said as to the powers of communication 

 possessed by bees and ants depends on the fact that, if one of them 

 in the course of her rambles has discovered a supply of food, a num- 

 ber of others soon find their way to the store. This, however, does not 

 necessarily imply any power of describing localities. If the bees or 

 ants merely follow their more fortunate companion, or if they hunt 

 her by scent, the matter is comparatively simple ; if, on the contrary, 

 the others have the route described to them, the case becomes very 

 difi"erent. To determine this, therefore, I have made a great number 

 of experiments, of which, however, I will here only mention a few. 

 Under ordinary circumstances, if an ant discovers a stock of food, she 

 carries as much as possible away to the nest, and then returns for 

 more, accompanied generally by several friends. On their return, 

 these bring others, and, in this way, a string of ants is soon estab- 

 lished. Unless, therefore, various precautions are taken and this, so 

 far as I know, has never been done in any of the previous observa- 

 tions the experiment really tells very little. 



I therefore made the following arrangement : One of my nests 

 of the small brown garden ant, Lasius niger, was connected with a 

 board, on which I was in the habit of placing a supply of food and 

 water. At a short distance from the board I placed two glasses 

 {b b'), and on 5 I placed some food. I then connected the glass b 

 with the board a by three slips of paper, c, d, e, and put an ant to the 

 food. She carried off a supply to the nest, returning for more, and 

 so on. Several friends came with her, and I imprisoned them till the 

 experiment was over. When she had passed several times over the 



