110 THE ENTOMOLOGIST'S RECORD. 



Still the ant persisted in its coaxings and caresses, and, at length, 

 the evaginable tubes on the 8th segment showed signs of activity, first 

 one, then the other, and presently both together, being evaginated and 

 withdrawn, the time occupied by the double movement of protrusion 

 and retraction being probably less than one second. The ant took 

 little notice of the activity of these tubes, but continued its entreaties 

 at the gland, and, at last, with the desired result, for the greenish inner 

 membrane was slowly protruded, and a bead of viscous-looking fluid 

 was extruded, and was quickly and most eagerly absorbed by the ant. 

 The time occupied by the protrusion of the gland and emission of the 

 fluid, was perhaps three seconds, and about twice that length of time 

 was taken by the ant in drinking the bead of liquid. Four times, in 

 the hour covered by this experiment, did the ant succeed in inducing 

 the larva to yield the fluid, but only after the most persistent and 

 continuous coaxing was success attained, and I do not think the larva 

 yielded voluntarily to the ant's solicitations. The evaginable tubes 

 were most active just before the exclusion of the liquid, and, at the 

 times of their evagination, there was a corresponding pulsation of the 

 lips of the gland ; it appeared to me that the action of the tubes was 

 intended to cause the ant to desist from its excitation of the gland, and 

 that, having failed in inducing it to refrain for more than a 

 moment from its labours, the protrusion of the membrane and emission 

 of the fluid were spasmodic and involuntary. The tubes are white, and 

 have, at their apex, a number of filaments or tentacles, but the 

 evagination and retraction were so quickly effected that I was unable 

 to ascertain their number. The second larva subsequently gave a 

 successful demonstration also, and the most interesting feature of the 

 whole experiment appeared to me to be the patient, persistent manner 

 in which the ant continued its caressings, as if it were perfectly well 

 acquainted with the method to be employed, and absolutely assured of 

 the successful issue of its labours. There was at no time any excited 

 running over the body of the larva by the ant. such as was the case in 

 my experiments with corydon and bellargus last year ; it remained for 

 nearly an hour on the posterior half of the larva, and, for several 

 minutes after each successful termination to its entreaties, devoted 

 itself to combing and stroking its antennaa, as though well aware that 

 the larva required time to recover from the treatment to which it had 

 been subjected. 



It had been my intention to experiment with these larva? of icarus 

 before hybernation, with the object of ascertaining if any connection 

 existed between this species and ants, but want of leisure prevented 

 my doing so, and I am therefore unable to say whether or not 

 they possess a functional gland in the earlier stages of their life- 

 history. While my observations of the larvae of icarus have, so far, 

 unfortunately been restricted to those reared in confinement, and I 

 cannot, therefore, state positively that they are attended by ants under 

 natural conditions, there can, I think, be very little doubt that they 

 are, occasionally at least, so attended, as the low-feeding habits of the 

 species must certainly frequently bring them into contact with ants, 

 and the functional development of the gland would appear to show 

 that it is not long allowed to remain unemployed. 



