24 The Naturalist in Nicaragua 
I placed a little stone on one of the ants to secure it. The 
next that approached, as soon as it discovered the situation 
of the prisoner, ran backwards in an agitated manner, and 
communicated the intelligence to the others. They rushed 
to the rescue, some bit at the stone and tried to move it, 
others seized the captive by the legs, and tugged with such 
force that I thought the legs would be pulled off, but they 
persevered until they freed it. I next covered one up with 
a piece of clay, leaving only the ends of its antenne pro- 
jecting. It was soon discovered by its fellows, which set 
to work immediately, and by biting off pieces of the clay, 
soon liberated it. Another time I found a very few of them 
passing along at intervals. I confined one of these under 
a piece of clay, at a little distance from the line, with his 
head projecting. Several ants passed it, but at last one’ 
discovered it and tried to pull it out, but could not. It 
immediately set off at a great rate, and I thought it had 
deserted its comrade, but it had only gone for assistance, 
for in a short time about a dozen ants came hurrying up, 
evidently fully informed of the circumstances of the case, 
for they made directly for their imprisoned comrade, and 
soon set him free. I do not see how this action could be 
instinctive. It was sympathetic help, such as man only 
among the higher mammalia shows. The excitement and 
ardour with which they carried on their unflagging exertions 
for the rescue of their comrade could not have been greater 
if they had been human beings, and this to meet a danger 
that can be only of the rarest occurrence. Amongst the ants 
of Central America I place the Eciton as the first in intelli- 
gence, and as such at the head of the Articulata. Wasps 
and bees come next to ants, and then others of the Hymen- 
optera. Between ants and the lower forms of insects there 
is a greater difference in reasoning powers than there is 
between man and the lowest mammalian. A recent writer 
has argued that of all animals ants approach nearest to man 
in their social condition.1 Perhaps if we could learn their 
wonderful language we should find that even in their mental 
condition they also rank next to humanity. 
I shall relate two more instances of the use of a reasoning 
1 Houzeau, Etudes sur les Facultés mentales des Animaux comparées 
a celles de VHomme. 
