Care of the Young in the Animal Kingdom. 185 



Mr. Marshall had not been ignorant of the develop- 

 ment of these myrmecophilous beetles, he would 

 scarcely have extolled the great intelligence of ants. 

 Lomechusa strumosa spends her whole life with F. 

 sanguined which, no doubt, is the "most intelligent" 

 of European ants. She remains with her hosts after 

 having attained the state of imago, and even, as a 

 general rule, abides in the same nest, in which she 

 was reared. In this case, therefore, the ants really 

 derive some profit from rearing the Lomechnsa-larvae. 

 They not only have the pleasure of gratifying their 

 nursing instincts by the rapid growth of these adopted 

 children, but also later on they enjoy an agreeable, 

 narcotic stimulant obtained by licking the yellow 

 hair-tufts of the beetle. But if the ants had the 

 faintest trace of intelligence, would they really be 

 foolish enough to rear the Lomechusa-larvae merely 

 for the sake of this sensual gratification? They 

 experience again and again, that these changelings 

 are their worst enemies, that they destroy their brood 

 and moreover cause the birth of the merest cripples, 

 namely the pseudogyne workers. Hence ants ought 

 to have perceived long ago, that by rearing the Lome- 

 chusa-larvae. they are guilty of a folly little short of 

 suicide. But alas, the very contrary is the case. The 

 longer Lomechusa-rear'mg has been going on in a- 

 given sanguinea-colony which time can be ascertained 

 by the increasing number of pseudogynes, the more 

 care is bestowed on these beetles ; and the percentage 

 of beetle-larvae, which, after being imbedded in the 

 earth, are left undisturbed, is continually increasing. 

 The experiences made only serve to entangle the ants 



