64 MR J. G. GOODCHILD ON 
honey-dew to its animal source, and have learnt how to 
induce the Aphides to give up the desired sweet stuff direct 
instead of wasting it upon the leaves. It has, of course, long 
been part of our common stock of natural-history knowledge 
that some ants do more than this, and actually tend the 
Aphides for the sake of their secretion in much the same 
way as we tend our kine, and in certain cases they even 
house them, just as we would do in the parallel case of our 
milk-producing animals. There is no need, even if there 
were space available, to do more than refer to these facts, 
seeing that they are already well known to most of us. 
Another result of the craving for sweets which is shared 
by all ants will be noticed more fully presently. In the 
meantime some reference should be made to the parasites, 
messmates, playfellows, partners, pets, and what one may 
term ‘‘camp followers,” of the ants. Regarding parasites, 
properly so termed, they need not be more than referred to here. 
But many ants carry about them, in parts of their persons. 
which are not easily got at by their own combs and brushes— 
or by those of such of their fellows as attend to the toilets of 
other ants—individuals of various species of mites (I have 
been told) which simply use their host as a means of 
locomotion. Lord Avebury tells me that he has watched 
these tiny creatures clinging on behind the head of an ant, 
and when she reached forward to feed on some nectar, the 
mite hurried to the front and shared the feast, and then 
withdrew in time to get another ride to a feast elsewhere, 
What are we to call these creatures? Ina sense they are 
messmates or commensals, somewhat like the Hydractinia 
echinata) which live upon Fusus gracilis, or like the Sea- 
anemone, Adamsia, on the shell carried about as a house by 
one of the Hermit-crabs. 
As regards the pets and playfellows of ants, there 
yet seems to be some little uncertainty. That other in- 
vertebrate animals—chiefly arthropods—living in the 
formicaries are there really as playfellows, seems to be 
generally accepted as a fact; but we must wait for the 
results of further investigations before some of the doubtful 
points relating to this are cleared up. 
Ants are very clean creatures, and are often to be seen 
