SOME INSECT COMMUNITIES 43 



of food from the mouth of the nurse-worker; 

 the amount supplied is believed to be regulated 

 according to whether the baby larva is ultimately 

 to grow into a worker, a queen, or a male. 

 The workers may also be seen to give frequent 

 demonstrations of their affection for the baby 

 larvae by the manner in which they caress them 

 with their antennae. All the time the nurse- 

 workers appear to keep a sharp and anxious 

 watch over the larvae, picking them up and 

 hastily retreating within the nest at the slightest 

 indication of danger, or should the sun beat 

 down too fiercely. 



When the larvae are full grown they spin a 

 silky cocoon, within which to complete their 

 metamorphosis. It is these oval cocoons which 

 are known to most people as " Ants' eggs," under 

 which misnomer they are collected and sold for 

 feeding young pheasants and gold-fish. The 

 workers pay the same care and attention to the 

 cocoons as they did to the eggs and larvae ; for 

 within the cocoons the nymphs or pupae are 

 confined, and passing through those wonderful 

 changes of structure which are associated with 

 the last stage of complete metamorphosis. 

 Directly the workers perceive that this final stage 

 is completed, they at once set to work with their 

 mandibles to cut open the cocoon and liberate the 

 perfect Ant, which is far too weak to accomplish 

 this task for itself, and would inevitably perish 

 within the silken chamber but for the watchful 

 care of its nurses. The newly emerged perfect 

 Ants are by no means in a condition to fend for 

 themselves, or to at once commence to take part 



