28 GAMES. 



carried off no less than a hundred and eighty-seven to 

 the nest. I kept another ant, which I employed in my 

 experiments, under continuous observation several days. 

 When I started for London in the morning, and again 

 when I went to bed at night, I used to put her in a 

 small bottle, but the moment she was let out she 

 began to work again. On one occasion I was away 

 from home for a week. On my return I took her out 

 of the bottle, placing her on a little heap of larvae 

 about three feet from the nest. Under these circum- 

 stances I certainly did not expect her to return. How- 

 ever, though she had thus been six days in confine- 

 ment, the brave little creature immediately picked up 

 a larva, carried it off to the nest, and after half an 

 hour's rest returned for another. 



Our countryman Gould noticed l certain ' amuse- 

 ments ' or ' sportive exercises,' which he had observed 

 among ants. Huber also mentions 2 scenes which he 

 had witnessed on the surface of ant hills, and which, 

 he says, i I dare not qualify with the title gymnastic, 

 although they bear a close resemblance to scenes of 

 that kind.' The ants raised themselves on their hind 

 legs, caressed one another with their antennae, engaged 

 in mock combats, and almost seemed to be playing 

 hide and seek. Forel entirely confirms Huber's state- 

 ments, though he was at first incredulous. He 



says : 3 



1 An Account of English Ants, p. 103. 

 Nat. Hitt. of Ants, p. 197. 8 Loo. tit., p. 367. 



