iv.] NEGLECT OF FRIENDS. J03 



under the circumstances were the result of this general 

 habit, or really due to a desire to extricate their friends. 

 With this view, I tried (20th August) the following 

 experiments. I placed some honey near a nest of Lasius 

 niger on a glass surrounded with water, and so arranged 

 that in reaching it the ants passed over another glass 

 covered with a layer of sifted earth about one-third of 

 an inch in thickness. I then put some ants to the 

 honey, and by degrees a considerable number collected 

 round it. Then at 1.30 P.M., I buried an ant from the 

 same nest under the earth, and left her there till 5 P.M.? 

 when I uncovered her. She was none the worse, but 

 during the whole time, not one of her friends had taken 

 the least notice of her. 



Again, September 1st, I arranged some honey in the 

 same way. At 5 P.M. about fifty ants were at the honey, 

 and a considerable number were passing to and fro. I 

 then buried an ant as before, of course taking one from 

 the same nest. At 7 P.M. the number of ants at the 

 honey had nearly doubled. At 10 P.M. they were still 

 more numerous, and had carried off about two-thirds of 

 the honey. At 7 A.M. the next morning the honey was 

 all gone ; two or three ants were still wandering about, 

 but no notice had been taken of the prisoner, whom I 

 then let out. In this case I allowed the honey to be 

 finished, because I thought it might perhaps be alleged 

 that the excitement produced by such a treasure dis- 

 tracted their attention ; or even, on the principle 

 of doing the greatest good to the greatest number, 

 that they were intelligently wise in securing a trea- 

 sure of food before they rescued their comrade, who? 

 though in confinement, was neither in pain nor danger, 



