114 INSECT MISCELLANIES. 



the nourishing fluid in greater quantity, and this the 

 ant immediately swallowed. In the same manner it 

 proceeded to a third, a fourth, and a fifth, after 

 which it returned to the nest. Those which remained 

 on the thistle presented me with the same scene. ' 

 Again, ' I was very much astonished when I saw, 

 for the first time, an ant approach a gall-insect, and 

 perform with its antennae, on its lower extremity, the 

 same manoeuvres as in the instance of the aphides. 

 After having a few moments caressed this insect, I 

 saw proceed from its back a large drop of fluid, which 

 the ant immediately lapped up. 1 observed the same 

 occurrence, with reference to other gall-insects on the 

 same tree, during several seasons.'* 



We can produce an almost exact parallel to 

 these observations in the case of several sea-birds 

 {Lestris, Illiger). According to Temminck, ' these 

 rarely fish on their own account, but most commonly 

 subsist on aliments which they oblige the sea-maws 

 {Lari) to disgorge, throwing themselves with an 

 astonishing velocity upon this, which falls from a 

 height in the air, and thus they live at the expense of 

 others, which they incessantly pursue. '| From our 

 own observation, however, we are quite convinced 

 that it is the mute of the gull, and not the fish it 

 disgorges, which the arctic gull {Lesiris parasiticus, 

 Boie), procures by following others, and this accords 

 with both the scientific and the popular name of the 

 bird in most languages. The French call it Sterco- 

 raire, the Italians Stercorario, the Scotch the dirty- 

 alien, and the English the dung-bird or dung-hunter. 

 Though we have seen it in numerous instances thus 

 procuring its food by following its congeners in the 

 air till they muted, we never imagined, as Huber 

 does with respect to the ants and aphides, that 

 they understood its language of solicitation, or that 

 it had peculiar organs for that purpose. But most 



* Huber on Ants, p. 220. t Manuel d'Ornith. ii, 790. 



