GOVERNMENT OF ANTS. 301 



troduce the female. She had descended to the border 

 of the plank very willingly, and endeavoured to pass 

 the opening which lay between it and the side of the 

 glass. She placed her head almost every moment at 

 this opening, and made every effort to enter, as if she 

 were aware there was a space underneath where she 

 could be more conveniently lodged. She at length 

 found a place of sufficient width to thrust in the 

 whole of her head. The ants in the lower story 

 rubbed her with their mandibles and caressed her 

 with their antennae, as if to invite her to follow them. 

 Some seized her by their mandibles, others mounting 

 on the plank drew her by the legs towards the lower 

 apartment. She made several vain attempts to in- 

 sinuate her body, and the workers collecting around 

 seemed desirous of repairing the injury her un- 

 fruitful efforts had occasioned. I now seconded the 

 wish of my little protegees by slightly moving aside 

 the plank, when the workers were enabled to lead the 

 female to the bottom of her abode without further 

 obstacle. We see by these details of the conduct of 

 workers in regard to females, that if they deprive them 

 of their liberty and sometimes of their wings, it is 

 only with the view of insuring the population of the 

 ant-hill ; and that the condition to which nature 

 destines them yields in no respect to that of queen- 

 bees. The attachment of the labourers to the females 

 would appear to continue after their death ; for, 

 when a pregnant female dies, five or six labourers 

 rest near her, and during several days brush and lick 

 her continually, either in token of lasting affection, 

 or that by these means they hope to re-animate her *." 

 In all this, however, these females, or queens (if 

 we must call them so), exercise none of the functions 

 of sovereignty in issuing orders or enforcing obe- 

 dience ; nay, it would appear that, but for the eggs 

 * Huber, p. 140. 



2D 



