96 HAMPSHIRE DAYS 



"In whatever Apartment a Queen Ant condescends 

 to be present, she commands Obedience and Respect. 

 An 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 upon their Hind Legs, and 

 prancing with the others. These Frolicks they make 

 use of, both to congratulate each other when they meet, 

 and to show their regard for the Queen. . . . However 

 Fantastick this Description may appear, it may easily 

 be proved by an obvious Experiment. If you place 

 a Queen Ant with her Retinue under a Glass, you will 

 in a few Moments be convinced of the Honour they 

 pay, and Esteem they Entertain for her. There cannot 

 be a more remarkable historic than what happened to 

 a Black Queen the beginning of last Spring. I had 

 placed her with a bare Retinue in a sliding Box, in 

 the cover of which was an opening sufficient for the 

 workers to pass to and fro, but so narrow as to confine 

 the Queen. A Corps was constantly in waiting and 

 surrounded her, whilst others went out in search of 

 Provisions. By some Misfortune she died: the Ants, 

 as if not apprised of her Death, continued their 

 Obedience. They even removed her from one part 

 of the Box to another, and treated her with the 

 same Court and Formality as if she had been alive. 

 This lasted two Months, at the end of which, the 

 Cover being open, they forsook the Box, and carried 

 her off." 



