July 31, 1879] 



NATURE 



315 



Did Flowers Exist during the Carboniferous Epoch? 



The systematic position of the genus Breyeria, founded for the 

 reception of a fossil insect, having formed the subject of a recent 

 discussion in Nature (vol. xix. pp. 554, 582), I have just 

 visited Brussels to examine the original type. Through the 

 courtesy of M. de Borre I have been allowed to submit it to a 

 careful microEcopical scrutiny, and have sketched, with the aid 

 of a camera lucida, a considerable part of it on a large scale. 

 The facies of the neuration is extremely similar to that of genera 

 allied to Palingenia of the Ephemeridoe, resembling theirs not 

 only in the relative abundance of cross-veinlets, but also in the 

 manner of the aberrations of abnormal cross-veinlets. The 

 Palingenia group is sufficiently elastic to comprise Breycria, 

 although this differs in detail to some extent from any known 

 genas of recent Ephemeridae. 



May I be allowed to suggest that if photographs of fossil 

 insect-remains be taken for critical purposes, it would be advan- 

 tageous to execute them on a scale of considerable enlargement. 

 In the present instance it was far easier to distinguish nervures 

 from mechanical depressions in the stone when a 3-inch object- 

 glass was employed, than when a 4inch glass was in use. These 

 are the lowest powers that I have with me, excepting simple 

 lenses. Apropos of fossil insects, there is in Baron E. de Selys 

 Longchamp's collection, a species of recent Homoptera, which is 

 likely to be of interest to palrsontologists. At first sight it 

 resembles a fragmentary specimen of Ephemeridje so closely that 

 it was actually reser\'ed for my inspection as such. Viewed 

 through a weak lens, it would appear from its anterior wings to 

 be a representative of the Planipennes, allied more or less to 

 Panorpa perhaps. A more careful examination, however, reveals 

 its rostrum and other characters distinctive of its real nature. 

 Its exact affinities have still to be ascertained ; but in all proba- 

 bility it is something new and extraordinary. A. E. Eaton 



Rotterdam, July 24 



The Papau 



I WAS surprised to read Capt. Oliver's statement in NATukE, 

 vol. XX. p. 241, th.it the papau {Carica papaya) is not eaten by 

 birds in Bourbon and Mauritius. In Samoa it is eaten largely by 

 birds — especially by Stiirnoides alrifusca, and also by bats of the 

 genus Ptnopus. The seeds of this fruit appear to have been 

 carried by the agency of birds over at least a great portion of the 

 islands. I have seen many places where the virgin forest has 

 been cleared, and in every instance — as far as my memory serves 

 me — a thick crop of Carica appeared as soon as the clearance 

 was made. They do not grow while the forest stands, but spring 

 'up in thousands as soon as light is let in to the soil. 



S. J. Whitmee 



I7i Leinster Square, Rathmines, Dublin 



\ 



Intellect in Brutes 



I HAVE just been watching with care the action of a party of 

 ants, exhibiting an intelligence nearly allied to reason, if indeed 

 it be not " reason." 



Clearing the shelf in a hothouse, two large cockroaches were 

 caught, killed, and left lying on the small gravel with which the 

 shelf is covered. This shelf is four feet from the floor, and the 

 nest of the ants is behind a slab at the end of the house. When 

 the cockroaches were killed, very few ants were upon the slab, 

 but they must have communicated to others the discovery of 

 the treasure, for in about twenty minutes a swarm of ants 

 emerged from the nest, climbed the wall, gained the shelf, and 

 there, dividing into two parties, proceeded to take possession of 

 the dead bodies. 



To understand the significance of what I am about to relate. 

 It IS necessary to form a distinct conception of the comparative 

 sizes of the ant and the cockroach. The ant was the smallest 

 of Its kind ; the body of its prey was nearly two inches long and 

 half an inch in width. The proportions were to each other as 

 would be those of a man to the dome of St. Paul's. Their pur- 

 pose was to cany these two huge carcases to the nest, and to 

 accomplish this it was necessary, first, to draw them for a space 

 of ten inches over rough gravel, then along a smooth board for 

 two feet, then to drop them to the floor beneath, then to drag 

 them over some very rough rubble for one foot four inches, and 

 finally to pass them between two slabs of wood into the nest. 

 This extraordinary feat they performed successful.y. It was 

 accomplished thus: They surrounded the cc-jse of '.Le dead 



cockroach and seizing it with their mandibles, moved it onward 

 a little way. It was lying inclined on its side. When moved, 

 the projecting edges of the side hitched in the stones and pre- 

 vented progress. 



I observed that, on some larger stones near the spot, half a 

 dozen ants stood looking at the work, bnt taking no part in it. 

 When the hitch occurred, and always afterwards when there was 

 an obstacle, these "surveyors" left their stations, went to the 

 workers and then returned to their place of observation. They 

 were manifestly directing the operation and instructing the 

 labourers ; and they as manifestly made some communication 

 to the labourers, for forthwith these changed their plan. They 

 now turned the cockroach on its back, and in this position they 

 moved it onward triumphantly for three or four inches. How ? 

 They stood round the corpse at precisely equal distances apart 

 and by a common effort dragged it forward. They pulled 

 together, apparently in obedience to a signal from the ' ' sur- 

 veyors," just as men shout when they want to pull together. 



Another obstacle. Three pieces of gravel bigger than the rest 

 lay in their path. What to do now ? They crept under the carcase 

 and lifted it by planting the hind feet on the floor and standing 

 upright, sustaining the load with their heads, v/hile a party 

 mounted the opposing stone, seized the tail, and tried to drag the 

 burden up. But in vain. It was too much for their strength 

 and the load was dropped. 



Then the ants that had been directing again moved from their 

 places and ran rapidly about in all directions, as if seeking some 

 more easy passage. Having found one they remounted their 

 post of observation and it may be assumed that they gave some 

 intelligent orders to the labourers, for immediately these resumed 

 their hold upon the carcase and moved it forward in the new 

 direction indicated. 



Similar obstacles occurred four times in the course of their 

 journey over the gravel, and on each occasion the same proceed- 

 ings were observed. Their patience was inexhaustible. At 

 length the body was successfully brought to the smooth edge of 

 the wooden shelf, whence it could be dropped to the floor 

 beneath. But it was necessary to select a fit spot for this pur- 

 pose, inasmuch as the floor was strewn with bricks and plants. 

 In fact there was but one open space of about four inches square 

 , into which the body could be sent so as to be carried securely to 

 its destination. To reach this spot they had to drag the burden 

 along the ledge for a space of 1 7 inches. In this journey balance 

 was repeatedly lost and the carcase would have fallen, but that 

 it was seized, held, and dragged back by their united efforts. 

 At length, having arrived at the place where its fall would be 

 upon the open floor, it was dropped by all at once losing their 

 hold of it. But previously to their doing so, the "surveyors" 

 ran down the wall to the floor and posted themselves directly 

 under the ledge on which the body lay {4 feet above them). 

 There they waited its fall. I think their business there was ta 

 see if all was safe and the place really fit for the purpose, and 

 that they made some communication as to the precise spot to be 

 chosen for the fall, for the ants who bore the corpse shifted it 

 two or three times before they let it down. Then all followed, 

 running down the wall, seized their prey again, and in half an 

 hour carried it a distance of nearly 3 feet to the entrance of 

 the nest. 



But here another difficulty occurred. It could not pass 

 between the boards when lying upon its back. They turned 

 on its side and. tried again. Again they were baffled ; the [legs 

 hitched. So they turned it on its back once more, bit off the 

 legs, which were carried into the nest by other ants, and then 

 the body was turned on its side and taken through the narrow 

 way into the nest. To me, looking at it with the eyes of a 

 psychologist, all this seemed to indicate the exercise of a reason- 

 ing faculty. They devised new methods of meeting new 

 circumstances. It satisfied me, also, that ants at least have 

 means of intercommunication. The fact of the find was 

 obviously communicated by the discoverers. The workers 

 manifestly acted under instructions and obeyed commands. 



My object in this communication is merely to place upon 

 record a very remarkable proof that the lower animals have 

 intelligence very like our own. EDWARD W. Cox 



Moat Mount, Mill Hill, N.W., July 26, .. . 



As you are publishing notices of intelligence in brutes perhaps 

 the following example of memory in a bird may be interesting. 

 When I returned from the Facific about two years ago, I brought 



