72 ON THE HABITS OF ANTS. [LECT\ 



the nest, not only watching over them themselves, but, 

 as I have been able to satisfy myself, even over their 

 eggs ; an act which one is much tempted to refer to 

 forethought, and which in such a case implies a degree 

 of prudence superior to that of some savages. 



Besides these aphides, many other insects live in ants' 

 nests. If they are to be regarded as domestic animals, 

 then ants have more domestic animals than we have. The 

 majority of these ant -guests are beetles. Some of them, 

 as, for instance, the curious little Claviger, are quite blind, 

 and are only found in ants' nests, the ants taking just 

 as much care of them as of their own young. It is 

 evident, therefore, that in some way they are useful or 

 agreeable to the ants. The subject, however, is one as 

 yet but little understood, and very difficult to study. 

 Grimm and Lespes consider that some of these beetles 

 secrete a sweet fluid, as do the aphides, and from analogy 

 this seems probable. Other creatures which habitually 

 live in ants' nests, like the little BecUa albinos, or the 

 blind woodlouse (Platyarthrus)> perhaps make them- 

 selves useful as scavengers. 



Nor are ants without their enemies. In addition to 

 birds and other larger foes, if you disturb a nest of the 

 brown ants at any time during the summer, you will 

 probably see some very small flies hovering over them, 

 and every now and then making a dash at some 

 particular ant. These flies belong to the genus Phord, 

 and to a species hitherto unnamed, which Mr. Verrall 

 has been good enough to describe for me. They lay 

 their eggs on the ants, inside which the larvae live. 

 Other species of the genus are in the same way parasitic 

 on bees. In one case I observed that one of my ants 

 Jiacl a mite attached to the underside of her head. The 



