40 Transactions of the 



them with their pincers. M. Hnber witnessed a fight between the 

 inhabitants of two lartje ant hills. Both armies met half way 

 between their respective habitations, and there the battle commenced. 

 Thousands of ants took their station upon the highest ground and 

 fought in pairs. A considerable number were engaged in the attack, 

 and in leading away prisoners. The fight usually commenced between 

 two ants, who seized each other by the mandibles. After fighting for 

 some time in the dust, they raise themselves, and each begins dragging 

 its opponent : if equally matched, others come to their assistance, and 

 so on. At night they returned to their nests, but began again at 

 dawn. 



The same observer also noticed, among the fallow ants, what might 

 be termed gymnastics. On a sunny day he observed these ants raise 

 themselves ujDon their hind legs, in pairs, and struggle together. 

 These wrestlings continued several days, sometimes the whole nest 

 engaged, and at other time only groups. None were ever wounded, 

 and there is no doubt that it was sport. 



I think we have seen enough of the habits and works of these 

 insects to make us wonder what sort of creatures they can be, and 

 what they have that specially adapts them for their mode of life. 



The ant belongs to that class of insects which has four naked wings. 

 Their heads are triangular-oblong, and terminate in a point more or 

 less obtuse, and is terminated by two large jaws, termed mandibles, 

 underneath which is the mouth. On each side are large reticulated 

 eyes, and above are usually three smaller ones. In the fore part of 

 the head are the antennte, and underneath these tlie lower jaw. The 

 antennte in some are filiform, whereas others are enlarged at the 

 extremity. The head is connected with the thorax by a narrow neck 

 of fleshy substance. On the thorax are fixed the legs and wings. 

 The legs are divided into the thigh, the leg, and the foot. The 

 abdomen, a third division of the ant's body, is of an oval form, more or 

 less pointed at the extremity. Some ants possess a sting, others are 

 capable of emitting a poison from their abdomen. Their nervous 

 system is the same as in other insects, that is, it consists of a chain of 

 ganglia placed ventrally, which however becomes a little concentrated 

 in the cephalic portion of the body. 



What, then, is there in these insects which enables theui to form 

 Buch habitations, and that endues them with such social feelings, as 

 we have noticed ? 



We have seen the tools they employ in constructing their nests, we 

 know that their nervous system is no more developed than that of 

 other insects, and no reason can be assigned for the wonderful 

 sagacity whic.h we have seen they possess. 



It was announced that the Committee had settled Tuesday, July 

 15th, as the day lor the Society's excursion, and that they should go 

 to Chepstow and Tintern Abbey. 



