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gence of ants there is a great diversity of evidence, and it would 
almost appear as though they were a mixture of the highest intelli- 
gence and the most crass stupidity. Some observers have seen them 
carry pieces of straw, and bridge over an otherwise impassable 
gulf, and even prepare a buttress on the opposite side, tilt a straw 
over to it, and firmly cement both ends with a mortar composed of 
earth and saliva. Sir John Lubbock on the other hand says that 
in all his experiments they failed to circumvent the most trifling 
obstacles, even when they could have easily overcome them by 
moving a few grains of earth, or shifting the position of a piece of 
straw, or small stick. Instead of which they laboriously wandered 
off by the most roundabout paths, while the much loved honey, or 
larvee, were within a few inches of their noses. It seems certain that 
in spite of their compound eye with its 1200 facets, ants possess 
very limited powers of vision, restricted apparently, to the perception 
of light, by which they seem to guide their movements. Indeed, as 
Sir John Lubbock quaintly remarks, if each of the 1200 eyes gave, 
as with us a separate image, it would lead to very awkward results 
both in love and war, for it would be equally embarrassing for an 
unfortunate ant to see before him 1200 wives from whom to select, 
or 1200 enemies to combat with. In spite of its apparent com- 
plexity, the eye of the ant is of a very rudimentary character, and 
the antenne play a far more important part in influencing its actions. 
The brain of the ant is represented by a small spec or knob of 
nervous matter, it is not of the relatively large size it is often repre- 
sented to be, and it is essentially what may be called an ‘‘antennal”’ 
brain, for the antenne represent all the special senses; by the 
antenne does the little insect recognize friend from foe; whether by 
their agency it can perceive sounds is doubtful, it certainly cannot 
hear any sound which is audible to human ears, though it is quite 
possible it may be conscious of sounds which are too acute for us to 
hear. The antenne are able to discriminate different odours, and 
are probably thus useful in selecting food. They are imdeed the 
all important organs of ant life, whether used to recognize or caress, 
or shampoo a friend, to milk an aphid, or to cross with those of an 
enemy before attack, astwo fencers cross their foils previous to 
engaging. The ants of Texas are said to have regular cemeteries, 
and bury their dead in them with well marked ceremony; indeed 
Mr. Romanes cites instances where the black slave ants were interred 
in separate cemeteries to their masters. Mrs. Hutton gives a most 
interesting account of some funeral obsequies she witnessed in 
Sydney. Having killed a number of soldier ants she returned in 
half an hour to the spot, and saw alarge number of ants surround- 
the dead ones. Four or five started off towards a hillock a short 
distance off in which was an ants’ nest. This they entered, andin 
