132 PUPJE KEMOVED FROM NEST, 



ing the claws. Of course, under these circumstances 

 we could not watch the ants. I examined the nest, 

 however, every half hour very carefully, and am satisfied 

 that there was no fighting. The next morning there 

 was no dead ant ; nor was there a death in the nest for 

 more than a fortnight. 



December 21. — Marked three more in the same 

 manner, and put them in at 11.15 a.m. Looked at 

 the usual intervals, but saw no fighting. The next 

 morning there was no dead one outside the nest ; but 



1 subsequently found one of these ants outside, and 

 nearly dead. I am, however, disposed to think that I 

 had accidentally injured this ant. 



December 23. — Painted three, and put them in at 

 10 A.M. At 11 they were unmolested, 12 ditto, 1 ditto, 



2 ditto, 3 ditto, 4 ditto, 5 ditto. At 3 I put in three 

 strangers for comparison : two of them were soon 

 attacked ; the other hid herself in a comer ; but all 

 three were eventually dragged out of the nest. I found 

 no other dead ant outside the nest for some days. 



December 29. — Painted three more, and put them in 

 at 10.30 a.m. At 11 they were unmolested, 12 ditto, 1 

 ditto, 2 ditto. During the afternoon they were once or 

 twice attacked for a minute or two, but the ants seemed 

 soon to perceive the mistake, and let them go again. 

 The next morning I found one dead ant, but had 

 no reason to suppose that she was one of the above 

 three. The following morning there was again only 

 one dead ant ox^tside the nest ; slie was the third of the 



