58 BRITISH ANTS. 



used. Swammerdam in 1737, and Huber in 1810, described artificial 

 nests in which they confined ants, and many observers to the present 

 day have invented, or modified, described, and figured, different 

 forms of nests which they have used for the same purpose ; such 

 are : Andre, Brun, Crawley, Ders, Donisthorpe, Emery, Escherich, 

 Miss Fielde, Forel, Janet, Kneissl, Lubbock, Newell, Overloop, 

 Santschi, Schmitz, Viehmeyer, Wasmann, Wheeler, etc. 



The two principal types of observation-nests are Lubbock 's glass 

 nests and Janet's plaster nests ; nearly all the others are a modifica- 

 tion in some form or other, or a combination of these. 



Lubbock describes his nest as follows : " After trying various 

 plans, I found the most convenient method was to keep them in 

 nests consisting of two plates of common window glass, about 





Fig. 51. Stand for nests described by Lord Avebury. 



ten inches square, and at a distance apart of from J^ to J in. (in 

 fact just sufficiently deep to allow the ants freedom of motion), 

 with slips of wood round the edges, the intermediate space being 

 filled up with fine earth. If the interval between the glass plates 

 was too great, the ants were partly hidden by the earth, but when 

 the distance between the plates of glass was properly regulated 

 with reference to the size of the ants, they were open to close 

 observation, and had no opportunity of concealing themselves. 

 Ants, however, very much dislike light in their nests, probably 

 because it makes them think themselves insecure, and I always 

 therefore kept the nests covered over, except when under actual 

 observation. I found it convenient to have one side of the nest 

 formed by a loose slip of wood, and at one corner I left a small door. 

 These glass nests I either kept in shallow boxes with loose glass 

 covers resting on baize, which admitted enough air and yet was 

 impervious to the ants ; or on stands surrounded either by water, 



