66 THE BEAUTIES OF NATURE CHAP. 



their friends, and some of my experiments 

 indicated that they are unable to send them. 



Certain species of Ants, again, make slaves 

 of others, as Huber first observed. If a col- 

 ony of the slave-making Ants is changing the 

 nest, a matter which is left to the discretion of 

 the slaves, the latter carry their mistresses to 

 their new home. Again, if I uncovered one 

 of my nests of the Fuscous Ant (Formica 

 fusca), they all began running about in search 

 of some place of refuge. If now I covered over 

 one small part of the nest, after a while some 

 Ant discovered it. In such a case, however, the 

 brave little insect never remained there, she 

 came out in search of her friends, and the 

 first one she met she took up in her jaws, 

 threw over her shoulder (their way of carry- 

 ing friends), and took into the covered part ; 

 then both came out again, found two more 

 friends and brought them in, the same ma- 

 noeuvre being repeated until the whole commu- 

 nity was in a place of safety. This I think 

 says much for their public spirit, but seems to 

 prove that, in F. fusca at least, the powers of 

 communication are but limited. 



