222 foemicid.t:. 



nests of Phidole i/eensis — one only a few yards from the portico of 

 the bun<:!;alow. One day I placed half a handful of broken rice a 

 little distance from the nest, and sat down to watch. Numerous 

 ^ ^ from the nest were about, some laden and some unladen, 

 coming and going in a regular double stream to a patch of coarse 

 grass in seed about 30 feet or so distant ; others apparently were 

 wandering around aimlessly, while at the entrances to the nest 

 itself was a busy crowd, clearing husks and debris out of the 

 nest. Mixed up with these last were one or two big-headed 1/ 1/ , 

 not helping in the work but coming out apparently for a recon- 

 noitre and retiring in slow pompous fashion. For nearly half an 

 hour my rice-grains lay unheeded. Very often a ^ would pass 

 very close to the rice, but apparently without discovering it; 

 more than once also I saw an ant run right over the grains 

 without pausing, and retire to the nest. At last two ^ ^ chanced 

 on the food simultaneously ; both stopped, touched the nearest 

 grains with their antenna;, seemed to lick them a bit, and finally 

 one took up a grain and trotted off towards the nest, while the 

 other remaiiied behind wandering about, touching grain after 

 grain, going away for a bit, and returning, apparently quite unable 

 to make up her mind what to do. Watching the one that had 

 carried off a grain, I noticed that she was stopped more than once 

 on her road to the nest by other ^ ^ , \vith whom she seemed to 

 exchange antennal touches ; finally she disappeared into the nest. 

 The individuals spoken to seemed to continue their aimless run- 

 ning about, none maling in the direction of the rice. After an 

 interval of three or four minutes, a party of seven or eight ^ ^ 

 started from the nest and made towards the rice. I presumed, 

 though of course I could not be certain, that the ant that 

 discovered the food was with them. On the way the party was 

 joined by one or two more ^ ^ , presumedly, but again there is 

 no certainty, from among the individuals \\"ho had been met with 

 and spoken to by the original discoverer of the food. The ^ that 

 had with the first-mentioned ant been the codiscoverer of the rice 

 had all this time remained as if on guard near the grain. On the 

 approach of the party she skirmished out towards it with what 

 schoolboys would call a very "cocky"' air, threatening the other 

 ants. After having some words, she and another ^ suddenly 

 laid hold of each other and had a rough-and-tumble. Presently 

 one (which I cannot say) made off in a direction away from the 

 nest. It is noteworthy that the party which came from the nest 

 straggled a good deal, though keeping to the line traversed by 

 those in front ; further, that again and again some wandering g , 

 seeing (?) or being told (?) of her comrades travelling steadily in 

 one direction, joined the party and helped to carry the food to the 

 nest. Too much caiition cannot be exercised in drawing conclu- 

 sions from insect behaviour, but watching my ants finding and 

 assembling at food, I have been irresistibly reminded of vultures 

 gathering to a carcass. One vulture only perhaps has at first seen 

 it ; others seeing him hastening in a particular direction, and 



