62 PERFECT SOCIETIES OF INSECTS. 



vision. Bradley relates a striking instance of this. A 

 nest of ants in a nobleman's garden discovered a closet, 

 many yards w^ithin the house, in vehich conserves v^^ere 

 kept, which they constantly attended till the nest was 

 destroyed. Some in their rambles must have first dis- 

 covered this depot of sweets, and informed the rest of it. 

 It is remarkable that they always went to it by the same 

 track, scarcely varying an inch from it, though they had 

 to pass through two apartments ; nor could the sweeping 

 and cleaning of the rooms discomfit them, or cause them 

 to pursue a different route *. 



Here may be i-elated a very amusing experiment of 

 Gould's. Having deposited several colonies of ants 

 {F.Jusca) in flower-pots, he placed them in some earthen 

 pans full of water, which prevented then from making 

 excursions from their nest. When they had been ac- 

 customed some days to this imprisonment, he fastened 

 small threads to the upper part of the pots, and ex- 

 tending them over the water pans fixed them in the 

 ground. The sagacious ants soon found out that by 

 these bridges they could escape from their moated castle. 

 The discovery was communicated to the whole society, 

 and in a short time the threads were filled with trains of 

 busy workers passing to and fro^. 



Liffon's account of the ants in Barbadoes affords an- 

 other most convincing proof of this : — as he has told his 

 tale in a very lively and interesting manner, I shall give 

 it nearly in his own words. 



" The next of these moving little animals are ants or 

 pismires ; and these are but of a small size, but great in 

 industry ; and that which gives them means to attain to 

 » Bradley, 134. ^ Gould, 85. 



