50 SOME SOUTH INDIAN INSECTS, ETC. [CHAI\ V. 



I<>u and it>- members scattered, they stridulate and collect together 

 again by means of the communication thus established. 



No one who has ever watched Termites or opened a termitarium 

 can have tailed to observe the curious vibratory movements of their 

 bodies which evidently serve as a means of communication. By 

 placing living specimens on a sheet ol paper or table the sounds 

 produced bj these vibrations become readily audible. One large 

 Termite found fairly commonly in the red-earth Plains of Southern 

 India is especially noteworthy in this respect and has earned its 

 name of Tames convulsionarius from this habit ; when a nest is 

 opened up, the noise produced by hundreds of these Termites 

 vibrating in unison is clearly audible from some little distance as a 

 rhythmic pattering or rustling and probably serves at once to 

 intimidate the disturber and to sound a warning throughout the 

 nest. There is no doubt whatever but that these vibratory move- 

 ments have different and well-understood meanings and serve the 

 purpose of speech. 



It is, however, amongst the Ants, well named as the most highly 

 developed of all insects, that communication is best established. 

 The way in which foraging ant-scouts communicate knowledge of 

 the presence of food may be seen daily in every bungalow in India. 

 Belt, in his "Naturalist in Nicaragua," gives several instances of 

 what may even be called intelligent communication amongst ants, 

 from which the following may be quoted : " One day when watch- 

 ing a small column of these ants [Eciton hamata], I placed a little 

 stone on one of the ants to secure it. The next that approached, 

 as soon as it discovered the situation of the prisoner, ran back- 

 wards in an agitated manner, and communicated the intelligent e 

 to the others. They rushed to the rescue, some bit at the stone 

 and tried to move it, others seized the captive by the legs, and tugged 

 w ith such force that 1 thought the legs would be pulled off, but they 

 persevered until they freed it. 1 next covered one up with a piece of 

 clay, leaving only the ends of its antenna' projecting. It was soon 

 discovered by its fellows, which set to work immediate ly, ami by 

 biting off pieces of the clay, soon liberated it. Another time I found 

 a very few of them passing along at intervals. I confined one of 

 these under a piece of clay, at a little distant e from the line, with his 

 head projecting. Several ants passed it, but at last one discovered 

 it and tried to pull it out, but could not. It immediately set off at 

 a great rate, and 1 thought it had deserted its comrade, but it had 

 only gone for assistance, for in a short time about a do/en ants 

 name hurrying up. evidentlj fully informed of the circumstances 

 oi tin- ease, for they made directly for their imprisoned comrade 



and soon se1 him free. I do "ol see how this action could In 



