AMERICAN nVMENOPTKRA. 281 



thoroughly shaken up, and in a few moments replaced upon the mound. 

 The moisture had scarcel}' dried into the sand, and the creature roused 

 herself, ere she was attacked by a sentinel and dragged away like a 

 culprit. This was repeated a number of times, on different insects, 

 with the same result. Sometimes the immersed ant would be attacked 

 by a dozen or more comrades at once. These assailants were taken 

 with their victim, submerged and restored to the hill. So with a third 

 series, the assailants of the assailants were themselves attacked, and 

 invariably the same measure meted to them that they had measured to 

 others. Like tests were made with an infusion of winter-green, and 

 with cold crtffee, with like results. In some cases the parties assailed 

 were presently released, as though the mistake had been perceived. 

 But for the most part there was every indication of a mortal purpose 

 and a fatal issue. The conclusion therefore, seems warranted that the 

 peculiar odor or condition by which the ants recognize each other, was 

 temporarily destroyed by the bath, and the individuals thus "tainted" 

 were held to be intruders, alien and enemy. This conclusion is cer- 

 tainly unfavorable to the theory that anything like an intelligent social 

 sentiment exists among the ants. The recognition of their fellows is 

 reduced to a mere matter of physical sensation or "smell." 



The following may be set upon the opposite side. The conduct of 

 these "tainted" ants seemed to be in curious contrast with the char- 

 acter of the species for pluck and ferocity. It seemed to me that they 

 had the carriage of persons detected in some meanness, a " hang-dog'' 

 sort of air, if I may be allowed the expression. They were quite passive 

 under the fierce assault of their fellows, and succumbed with little or 

 no effort at resistance. Can it bo that these emmets possess something 

 like a sense of submission to the legal authority, and tacitly recognize 

 the fact that they have become obnoxious to the communal police? 

 One's judgment is so apt to be biased by his interest in and syn)pathy 

 with these wise little creatures, that he is inclined to distrust his own 

 observations, and fear that he may unconsciously have interpreted their 

 behaviour after the operations of his own mind. But the facts really 

 seemed to justify the suggestion above raised. 



Amity and roiirodcratioii.— The description which lluber has 

 given of terrible coiiflic-ts between rival commuiiities of the fallow ant, 

 the accfjunts of other writers, together with my own observations of 

 battles between separate republics of the same species other than 

 Formica rufa, had prepared me to expect many views of sanguinary 

 fights among the colonists of Camp Riddle. True, 1 had seen nothing 

 of the kind at previous visits; but I confidently expected some such 



