142 



FIELD ZOOLOGY. 



close observation, and had no opportunity to conceal 

 themselves. Ants, however, very much dislike light in 

 their nests, probably because it makes them think them- 

 selves insecure, and I always therefore kept the nests 

 covered over, except when under actual examination. 

 I found it convenient to have one side of the nest formed 

 by a loose slip of wood, and at one corner I left a small 

 door. These glass nests I either kept in shallow boxes 

 with loose glass covers resting on baize, which admitted 

 enough air, and yet was impervious to the ants, or on 

 stands surrounded either with water or with fur with the 

 hairs pointing downward. Some of these nests I 

 arranged on stands, as shown in the figure. A A is an 

 upright post fixed on a base B B. C C is a square plat- 

 form of wood around which runs a ditch of water. Above 

 are six nests, D, each lying on a platform, E, which could 

 be turned for facility of observation, as shown in the 

 dotted lines D' and E'. Thus the ants had considerable 

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

 object of having the platform C C larger than the supports 

 of the nest 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 fulfill my hopes, as the ants 

 were so pugnacious that I was obliged to be very careful 

 which nests were placed on the same stand. (Fig. 58.) 



"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 then 

 put them over one of my artificial nests on one of the 

 platforms surrounded by a moat of water. Gradually 



