CHAP. V Social Life of Animals 79 



isation is the Liliputian world of the ants, who, like micro- 

 scopic men, build barns and lay up stores, divide their labour 

 and indulge in play, wage wars and make slaves. Like the 

 bee-hive, the ant-nest includes three kinds of individuals — 

 a queen mother or more than one, a number of short-lived 

 males, and a crowd of workers. The queen is again pre- 

 eminently maternal, and, if we can trust the enthusiastic 

 observers, she is attended with loyal devotion, not without 

 some judicious control. Farren White describes how the 

 workers attend the queen in her perambulations : " They 

 fonned round her when she rested ; some showed their regard 

 for her by gently walking over her, others by patiently watch- 

 ing by her and cherishing her with their antennas, and 

 in every way endeavouring to testify to their affectionate 

 attachment and generous submission." Gould ventures 

 further, alleging that "in whatever apartment a queen 

 condescends to be present, she commands obedience and 

 respect, and a universal gladness spreads itself through the 

 whole cell, which is expressed by particular acts of joy and 

 exultation. They have a peculiar way of skipping, leaping, 

 and standing up on their hind legs, and prancing with the 

 others. These frolics they make use of both to congratu- 

 late each other when they meet, and to show their regard 

 for the queen." These are wonderful lists of assumed 

 emotions ! Should an indispensable queen be desirous to 

 quit the nest, the workers do not hesitate, it is said, to 

 keep her by force, and to tear off her wings to secure her 

 stay. It is certain at least that as the queens settle down 

 to the labour of maternity, their wings are lost — perhaps in 

 obedience to some physiological necessity. From the much 

 greater number of the wingless workers, we are apt to forget 

 that the males and mothers of the social ants are winged 

 insects ; but this fact becomes impressive if in fine summer 

 weather we are fortunate enough to see the males and 

 young queens leaving the nest in the nuptial flight, during 

 which fertilisation takes place. Rising in the air they 

 glitter like sparks, pale into curling smoke, and vanish. 

 " Sometimes the swarms of a whole district have been 

 noticed to unite their countless myriads, and, seen at a dis- 



