COLLECTING. 



59 



or by fur, with the hairs pointing downwards. Some of these 

 nests I arranged on stands, as shown in the figure. AA is an up- 

 right post fixed on a base BB. CC is a square platform of wood 

 round which runs a ditch of water. Above are six nests, D, each 

 lying on a platform E, which could be turned for facility of observa- 

 tion, as shown in the dotted lines D' and E'. Thus the ants had a 

 considerable range, as they could wander as far as the water ditch. 

 The object of having the platform CC larger than the supports of 

 the nests was that if the ants fell, as often happened, they were 

 within the water boundary, and were able to return home. This 

 plan answered fairly well, and saved space, but it did not quite 

 fulfil my hopes, as the ants were so pugnacious, that I was obliged 

 to be very careful which nests were placed on the same stand. Of 

 course it was impossible to force the ants into these glass nests. 

 On the other hand, when once the right way is known it is easy to 

 induce them to go in. When I wished to start a new nest I dug 

 one up, and brought home the ants, earth, etc., all together. I 



Fig. 52. Four-chambered "Janet" plaster nest. 



then put them over one of my artificial nests, on one of the plat- 

 forms surrounded by a moat of water. Gradually the outer earth 

 dried up, while that between the two plates of glass, being pro- 

 tected from evaporation, retained its moisture. Under these cir- 

 cumstances the ants found it more suitable to their requirements, 

 and gradually deserted the drier mould outside, which I removed 

 by degrees. In the earth between the plates of glass the ants 

 tunnelled out passages, chambers, etc., varying in form according 

 to the circumstances and species. Even between the plates of 

 glass the earth gradually dried up, and I had to supply artificial 

 rain from time to time. Occasionally also I gave them a new nest. 

 They seem, however, to get attached to their old homes, and I have 

 one community which has inhabited the same glass case ever since 

 1874." (About eight years.) "It is hardly necessary to say that 

 the individual ants belonging to the communities placed on the 

 stands just described, knew their own nests perfectly well." 



Janet's type of nest is quite different from the above, it is made of 

 plaster, or some other porous material, with a glass roof, and no 

 earth is employed. His nest consists of three chambers, which 

 are situated in a block of plaster of Paris, and are connected with 



