ISOLATED COMBATS. 97 



Now I have often observed that some of my ants had 

 the heads of others hanging on to their legs for a con- 

 siderable time ; and as this must certainly be very 

 inconvenient, it seems remarkable that their friends 

 should not relieve them of such an awkward encum- 

 brance. 



The behaviour of ants to one another differs also 

 much according to circumstances; whether, for instance, 

 they are alone, or supported by friends. An ant which 

 would run away in the first case will defend herself 

 bravely in the second. 



If an ant is fighting with one of another species, 

 her friends rarely come to her assistance. They seem 

 generally (unless a regular battle is taking place) to 

 take no interest in the matter, and do not even stop to 

 look on. Some species, indeed, in such cases never 

 appear to help one another ; and even when the reverse 

 is the case, as for instance in the genus Lasius, the 

 truth seems to be that several of them attack the same 

 enemy- — their object being to destroy the foe, rather 

 than to save their friend. 



On one occasion several specimens of Formica fused 

 belonging to one of my nests were feeding on some 

 honey spread on a slip of glass (IMay 22). One of 

 them had got thoroughly entangled in it. I took her 

 and put her down just in front of another specimen 

 belonging to the same nest, and close by I placed a drop 

 of honey. The ant devoted herself to the honey and 

 entirely neglected her friend, whom she left to perish. 



H 



