148° RELATION BETWEEN ANTS. 
than the companions of their labours : 
the latter understand them, if I may use 
the expression, at half'a word; however, 
there are cases, where there is a necessity 
for their repetition, as the following ex- 
ample will prove. Its detail may appear 
minute, but as itis demonstrative of the 
ants possessing some kind of language, I 
hope to ground my excuse on the im- 
portance of the subject. 
The. feet of the artificial ant-hill, or 
ruche, were plunged in vessels constantly 
filled with water; this expedient, ori- 
-ginally adopted to arrest the passage of 
the ants, proved to them a fruitful source 
of delight, for they there slaked their 
thirst (like butterflies, bees, and other 
insects), during the great heat of sum- 
mer. One day, whilst they were assem- 
bled at the foot of the ruche, occupied 
in licking up the little drops which filter- 
ed between the fibres of the wood, 
(which they preferred to the taking it 
from the bason itself,) I amused myself 
in disturbing them. This trifling expe- 
