190 Sir John Luhhoch on the Habits of Ants. [May 9, 



the green and red transmitted rays wMcli were agreeable to the ants, 

 and which the violet glass, on the contrary, stopped, then, if the violet 

 was placed over the other colours, they would become as distasteful to 

 the ants as the violet itself. On the contrary, however, whether the 

 violet glass was placed over the others or not, the ants equally readily 

 took shelter under them. Obviously, therefore, the ants avoid the 

 violet glass because they dislike the rays which it transmits. 



Mr. Busk suggested that as the red glass stops the chemical rays 

 more effectually than the yellow or green, while the violet is most 

 transj)arent to them, and as the ants appear to prefer the red glass to 

 the yellow or green, and these, again, to the violet, possibly the 

 explanation might be that the chemical rays were peculiarly dis- 

 tasteful to them. To test this, therefore, I made some experiments 

 with fluorescent liquids, which Mr. Hanbury was kind enough to 

 procure for me. I poured them into shallow glass cells, about half 

 an inch deej), which I put, as before, over the ants. If now they were 

 affected mainly by the chemical rays, it must appear to them to be 

 dark under these solutions. This, however, was not the case. The 

 solutions seemed to make no difference to them. I also tried quinine 

 and uranium glass with the same effect. I conclude therefore that 

 the ants are affected by the true light rays. 



It is obvious that these facts suggest a number of interesting 

 inferences. I must, however, repeat the observations and make 

 others ; but we may at least, I think, conclude from the preceding 

 that : (1) ants have the power of distinguishing colour ; (2) that 

 they are very sensitive to violet light ; and it would also seem (3) 

 that their sensations of colour must be very different from those 

 produced upon us. 



But though it is thus, I think, sufficiently evident that ants are 

 differently affected by different colours, it by no means, follows that 

 they should see them as we do. It is, indeed, most remarkable how 

 little we yet know with reference to their real nature, or how nature 

 herself appears to them. What actual impressions do colours give 

 them ? What are the limits of their vision, how far, and how dis- 

 tinctly can they see ; can they hear any sounds, or do they live in 

 everlasting silence ? Have they senses with reference to which we 

 have as yet no knowledge ? Last, but not least, how far are they mere 

 exquisite automatons ; how far are they conscious beings ? When 

 we see an ant-hill, tenanted by thousands of industrious inhabitants, 

 excavating chambers, forming tunnels, making roads, guarding their 

 home, gathering food, feeding the young, tending their domestic 

 animals, each one fulfilling its duties industriously, and without con- 

 fusion, it is difficult altogether to deny to them the gift of reason ; 

 and yet it is perhaps wiser to admit that the whole question is still a 

 mystery. 



[J. L.] 



