on Indian ants. 361 



the same tree ; but I think the observation is of interest 

 as tending to show that ants under slightly altered con- 

 ditions will often show different traits of character or 

 instinct. 



During the time I kept CEcophylla in confinement I 

 found they were very stupid in any efforts they made at 

 escape ; they would occasionally tumble off the brick 

 island into the water, although within an inch would be 

 a bridge purposely arranged for their use. When 

 (Ecophylla did fall in the water they collapsed and 

 drowned at once, and seemed incapable of making any 

 attempt to save themselves by swimming an inch or two. 

 Some nests I kept in a large open tin-lined box, which 

 held them securely until the tin lost its smooth surface 

 from exposure, and allowed the ants a foot-hold, but 

 even then they were very slow to escape. 



Diacamma vagans, Sm. 



This species is very common in Bengal. You never 

 find it in large numbers, but generally singly, or two or 

 three together ; its nests, which are never populous, are 

 usually formed under bricks, stones, or in brick-work, 

 and always in shady situations. It appears to have no 

 regular time for swarming ; its sting is sharp, but the 

 pain does not last more than a few seconds. 



In the verandah of my bungalow at Barrackpore I had 

 a nice little nest in the brick-work, which I watched for 

 several years, and used to feed the workers with sugar 

 and other sweets. I arranged a little island by means 

 of a brick placed in the centre of a large plate filled with 

 water, covered the brick with sugar, and then with a 

 piece of bamboo made a bridge from the floor to the 

 brick. I left this the whole of one Sunday, but no ants 

 found out the treasure. The following Sunday I cap- 

 tured a vagans, marked her with paint, and put her to 

 the sugar ; she immediately seized a grain, crossed the 

 bridge, and made off home to her nest, distant about 

 35 ft., in a fairly direct line. After depositing the sugar 

 she was out again in a few seconds, made her way back 

 to the island, took another grain of sugar (she usually 

 selected the largest), then back to the nest. I watched 

 about a dozen journeys, and after the first two her track 

 was as near a straight line to the sugar as could be. A 



