20 



Ants in Relation to Flowers. [Sess. 



by painting a ring of tar around the stem. Many plants have 

 hit upon a similar device ; and we have but to glance at most 

 plants with viscous stems to see how admirably this protective 

 device succeeds. No intelligent Ant would ever dream of 

 making the attempt at getting at the honey in the upper part 

 of a flower which has defended itself from attack in that way. 

 Another set of plants, acting upon the hint that Ants can be 

 kept away by the judicious use of bird-lime, have developed a 

 milky juice, which is quite fluid when within the stem, but 

 which rapidly hardens into a nasty sticky mess on exposure 

 to tlie air. Our little friend the Ant swarms up the stem in 

 search of honey, but when it nears the goal its needle-pointed 

 claws perforate the thin skin of the plant and let out a tiny 

 drop of the milky juice. Ants are very clean little creatures, 

 and they immediately try to get this mess off their feet ; but, 

 as will be seen, this only makes matters worse, and the affair 

 ends by the unwelcome visitor being securely fastened to the 

 stem, like a criminal on a gibbet, as a warning to others not 

 to try that sort of thing again. 



Other plants, such as Impatiens tricornis, which have tried 

 without success to ward off the attacks of our persevering 

 little folk, have decided to come to terms with the Ants ; and 

 really this seems, especially to the lover of Ants, to be the 

 better policy after all. These plants grow a little nectar part 

 of the way down their stem. The Ants swarm up to this, 

 have a feed, and go away, under the impression that there is 

 no more to be had. Crafty plant ! to outwit the Ant in that 

 way. 



Ants are very nervous little creatures, and although they 

 can climb about into all sorts of positions, they do not dare to 

 let go and take even a very small jump. Many plants have 

 long ago discovered that little weakness, and have put very 

 awkward turns and sharp bends in the way leading from the 

 stem of the plant to the flower. No Ant dare to venture that 

 much, so the plant is safe from the attack of this particular 

 kind. 



Again, Ants have a great dread of getting wet feet. Noth- 

 ing whatever will induce them to take their walks abroad 

 before the dew is off the grass. Flowers, ever alert to keep 

 upsides with the Ants, have turned that fact to good account. 



