ANT. 455 



food on the labourers, who forage for the whole society, and bring 

 to the nest small insects, or portions of any animal substances that 

 may fall in their way. When the game is too bulky to be easily 

 transported, they fill themselves with nourishment, the greater 

 part of which they disgorge on their return, for the benefit of those 

 that are hungry. This nutritious fluid they retain unchanged for 

 a .considerable time, when prevented from imparting it to their 

 companion:). 



The food which they appear to relish above all other is an exsu. 

 dation from the bodies of several species of aphis, insects which 

 abound on the plants in the vicinity of ant hills. This species of 

 honey is absorbed with great avidity by the ants, and apparently 

 without the least detriment to the insect that yields it. Ihis fact 

 had already been noticed by Boissier de Sauvages ; but several 

 very interesting particulars, as to the mode in which this excretion 

 is procured, have been brought to light by M. Huber. He informs 

 us, that the liquor is voluntarily given out by the aphis, when 

 solicited to do so by the ant, who, for that purpose, strikes it 

 gently, but repeatedly, with its antennas, using the same motions 

 as it does win n caressing its young. He is led to believe from ob- 

 servation, that the aphis retains this liquor for a long time, when 

 the ants are not at hand to receive it. A single aphis is sufficient 

 to supply in this way many ants with a plentiful meal. Even those 

 among them who had acquired wings, and could therefore have 

 easily escaped from the ants, if they had been so disposed, yielded 

 this honey as freely as the others, and with as little appearance of 

 fear or constraint. 



Most insects become torpid when their temperature is much re. 

 dnced. When it approaches the freezing point, they fall into a 

 deep lethargy, and in that state require no food. Ants present a 

 remarkable exception to this rule ; for they are not benumbed till 

 the thermometer has sunk to 70 of Fahrenheit, or five degrees below 

 the freezing point. They therefore have need of a supply of pro- 

 visions during the greater part of the winter ; although it is true 

 that they are satisfied with much less than in summer. Their 

 principal resource, however, under these circumstances, is still 

 the same, namely, the honey of the aphis j which natural secretion 

 appears to be expressly designed for the subsistence of ants. What 

 confirms this view of the intentions of nature is, that the- aphis be* 



2 s4 



