DIVISION OF LABOUR. 45 



years. In this plate are represented the ants them- 

 selves, with their queen, and young in several stages ; 

 the larvae, sorted as usual in several groups according to 

 age, and the pupae by themselves ; and lastly two kinds 

 of domestic animals, the little Beckia and the blind 

 Woodlice. The insects are represented in their actual* 

 positions, but a little larger, in proportion to the nest, 

 than they actually are. It will be observed that many 

 of the ants are grouped round the queen, and all have 

 their faces turned towards her. Plate VI. represents a 

 fortified nest of another species. The circular camp is 

 entered by gateways, which, however, are not visible in 

 a view fiom above. 



I have already mentioned {ante, p. 23), that there 

 is evidence of some division of labour among ants. 

 Where, indeed, there are dififerent kinds of workers, 

 this is self-evident, but even in species where the 

 workers are all of one type, something of the same 

 kind appears to occur. 



In the autumn of 1875 I noticed an ant belonging 

 to one of my nests of F. fusca out feeding alone. The 

 next day the same ant was again out by herself, and for 

 some weeks no other ant, so far as I observed, came out 

 to the food. I did not, however, watch her with suffi- 

 cient regularity. In the winter of 1876, therefore, I 

 kept two nests under close observation, having arranged 

 with my daughters and their governess, Miss Wendland 

 (most conscientious observers), that one of us should 

 look at them once an hour during the day. One of the 



