48 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1881. 



It was 1113- hope that this prolonged separation from external food 

 supplies would compel the workers to resort to the hone^'-bearers 

 for food, and thus afford the positive proof that the latter were 

 the natural storehouses of the colonj'. Most provokin;^!}-. the 

 perverse Melligei'S made the room of the hone^'-bearers within the 

 very heart of the nest, and no strategy of mine could tempt more 

 than one or two of the rotunds into a position under m\' e3'es. I 

 was therefore limited to such inferences as might be drawn fi'om 

 the general condition of the inmates during and at the close of 

 the fast. 



During the entire four months, the workers, whose movements 

 were of course observable, were in perfect health and good condi- 

 tion. Indeed, it was very evident that they were in a more 

 healthy state, more vigorous and active than the inmates of the 

 other nests. When the nest was finally opened the remaining 

 workers had well-filled abdomens, all of them looking more like 

 foragers freshly returned from a banquet of nectar among the oak 

 galls, than like the victims of a four-months' seige. The abdo- 

 mens of the honey-bearers were undoubtedh' diminished, but 

 presented little appearance of having been largely drawn upon by 

 hungry workers. 



The complement of this experiment over a nest of workers who 

 were wholly separated from honey-bearers, and denied food, came 

 to an untimely end. The purpose had been to make such a com- 

 parison between the two sets of workers as would have shown 

 what effect the presence of houej^-beaArs had upon the abdomens. 



5. Covering obnoxious matter. — Two other formicaries were 

 established with the special purpose of determining whether the 

 workers habitually transferred food to the sedentary insects upon 

 the roof. One colony was fed syrup mixed with carmine, the 

 expectation being that if the ants ate this and fed it to the honey- 

 bearers, the color would show through their abdomens, or be 

 discovered by dissection. The experiment failed, as to its main 

 ^ lurpose, but was the occasion of uncovering an interesting trait. 

 Che carmiue-sj'rup was obnoxious to the ants. Some tasted it, 

 turned awa^'^, and rubbed their mouth parts upon the earth, with 

 evident tokens of dislike. Others tested it with their antennje, 

 and although they had been prepared for a banquet by previous 

 fasting, refused to eat. Moreover, they instantly, deliberateh', and 

 with one accord set to work to cover up the offensive material. 



