Royal Society. 153 



Read also some " Notes on the Habits of the common Garden 

 Ant, Formica nigra, L." By George Daniell, Esq. Communicated 

 by the Secretary. 



This ant infests in large numbers Mr. Daniell's garden at Chob- 

 ham. Stragglers appear in the greenhouse about the middle of 

 February, and they had this season become numerous by the 5th of 

 March : as the weather becomes warmer they spread themselves all 

 over the garden. In fine weather they bring forth their white pupae 

 and spread them in little heaps in the sun by the side of a turf, 

 stone, or garden-pot ; not unfrequently forming their dwellings in the 

 bottom of the flower-pots among the roots of the plants. As the sum- 

 mer advances they even extend their colonies into the meadows, and 

 form small round hillocks among the grass. They are very pugna- 

 cious and defiant, and do not hesitate to attack flies, gnats, and even 

 bees. A number of them were on one occasion seen clustering round 

 a honey-bee, and on being struck off^ with the finger-nail, they re- 

 turned to the charge in the most fearless and daring manner, and 

 eventually dragged off* the bee. Last year, when the vines were much 

 infested with the scale, or Coccus Vitis, L., thousands of ants clustered 

 on the trunks of the vines, apparently feeding on the black excre- 

 ment voided by this pest. In the same manner they feed around 

 the green Aphides, which more particularly infest the Calceolarias. 

 Not only the cast skins of the Aphides, but the insects themselves, 

 are carried off* by the ants. The Aphides appear to be comparatively 

 safe while buried beneath the long hairs of the Calceolarias, and other 

 similar plants ; but the ants evidently make great eflforts to dislodge 

 them, while the Aphides parry the attack with their legs. On shaking 

 the plants and dislodging some of the Aphides, the latter were im- 

 mediately set upon by the ants below, which first broke their legs 

 and stripped them of their wings, and then carried them oflT. The 

 winged female ants are seen in June, not however using their wings 

 much in flight, but quivering and shaking them as they walk along, 

 each accompanied by several workers. 



ROYAL SOCIETY. 



November 16, 1854 — Col. Sabine, R.A., in the Chair. 



" Observations on the Respiratory Movements of Insects." By 

 the late William Frederick Barlow, F.R.C.S. Arranged and com- 

 municated by James Paget, F.R.S. 



This essay contains the greater part of a series of observations 

 made between 1845 and 1850. The following are some of the 

 conclusions which they plainly indicate : — 



(1.) Ti)e respiratory movements of Dragon-flies (Libellulae), and, 

 probably, of other insects also, are naturally subject to considerable 

 and frequent variations in force and rate, the causes of many of 

 these variations being as yet unknown. 



(2.) The respirations of these insects are always quickened by 

 exercise, emotion, rise of temperature, galvanism, and mechanical 

 irritation ; and the last three agents quicken them in the decapitated, 

 as well as in the perfect, insect. 



