FECUNDATION OF ANTS. 107 
places in its vicinity. We may be soon 
convinced of this by displacing a hive. 
The first day the bees never venture 
abroad, unless they have previously visit- 
ed all the neighbouring objects: they turn 
round on all sides, keeping an eye upon 
their dwelling, without which, it may be 
readily conceived, it would be impossible 
they could return. The Queen Bee does 
the same when she goes forth to meet her 
paramour in the air.* But our winged 
ants, on the contrary, when they quit the 
ant-hill, keep their back continually to- 
wards it, and go off in a right line to a 
distance, from which it would be no easy 
matter to perceive it. We might from 
this infer, that they would never return 
to it. But I did not confine myself en- 
tirely to this observation ; for I kept sen- 
try, from the time of their departure until 
night, and even several days in succes- 
sion, to be fully assured they did not re- 
turn to the ant-hill. In this way I have 
* Vide Observations upon Bees, addressed to 
Ch. Bonnet. 
F 6 
