154 RELATION BETWEEN ANTS. 
[ have often amused myself by dis- 
persing in my chamber the fragments of 
one of their nests. I expected to see 
the ants follow each others’ track, and 
move in one unbroken chain (as we find 
to be the case with caterpillars) to seek 
a place of shelter ; but this was not the 
plan they followed; they diverged on all 
sidesand took a thousand different routes: 
each pursued his own way. ‘They encoun- 
tered each other at different points with- 
out appearing to have the slightest idea 
of any clue that might direct them. I 
saw them for a long time wandering 
about at random before they found a 
place where they could all assemble. 
One of them having discovered in the 
flooring a little chink through which it 
could glide into a darkened cayity, re- 
turned to its companions, and, by means 
of certain movements with its antenne, 
imparted to them the joyful intelligence. 
It even directed some by accompany- 
ing them to the entrance of this aperture, 
and these, in their turn, served as guides 
