OF HARTING. 381 



huge nest of this species, but the underground tunnels 

 and passages, which are carried to some depth, appear 

 to be laid out with great regularity and order. If a 

 breach be made in one of these nests, swarms of the 

 ants rush out to attack the intruder, and they not only 

 bite him severely if practicable, but almost suffocate 

 him with the powerful and pungent odour of the formic 

 acid, which, in their fury, they discharge in all direc- 

 tions. Another species, Formica fusca, which we have 

 commonly found in the Park and on the Downs, 

 makes its nest underground, and about Midsummer it 

 is not an uncommon thing to see thousands of recently- 

 developed individuals airing their glittering and com- 

 paratively large wings in the sunshine on the exterior 

 of their nest, from which they have just emerged. 

 Later in the day they take flight and fill the air with 

 their numbers, the sole object of this proceeding 

 appears to be the union of the sexes, which is shortly 

 after followed by the death of the males and the 

 descent of the females. These immediately set about 

 divesting themselves of their wings, and devote their 

 energies to the foundation of other colonies, unless 

 they should chance to alight on or near the nest from 

 which they have taken their flight, in this case they 

 are at once forcibly restored to their native home by 

 the workers. 



The social Wasps live in communities consisting of 

 males, queens and workers, and the ardent student of 

 their economy who would venture on the capture of 

 an individual of either species without the aid of any 

 entomological apparatus, a net for instance, or a pair 

 of forceps, should be careful to try the experiment on 

 the males alone. Several queens or perfect females 

 are found in each nest, and, unlike the queens of the 

 honey bee, they not only live in harmony with each 

 other, but take their share in the labours of the estab- 

 lishment till the setting in of winter. The males and 

 workers then perish, the queens disperse for the pur- 



