120 RECOGNITION OF FRIENDS. 



Lasius niger, she was at once attacked. One ant would 

 seize her by an antenna, another by a leg, and she was 

 either dragged out of the nest or killed. 



Moreover, we have not only to deal with the fact 

 that ants know all their comrades, but that they recog- 

 nise them even after a lengthened separation. 



Huber mentions that some ants which he had kept 

 in captivity having accidentally escaped, ' met and 

 recognised their former companions, fell to mutual 

 caresses with their antennae, took them up by their 

 mandibles, and led them to their own nests ; they 

 came presently in a crowd to seek the fugitives under 

 and about the artificial ant-hill, and even ventured to 

 reach the bell-glass, where they effected a complete 

 desertion by carrying away successively all the ants 

 they found there. In a few days the ruche was 

 depopulated. These ants had remained four months 

 without any communication.' 1 This interesting state- 

 ment has been very naturally copied by succeeding 

 writers. See, for instance, Kirby and Spence's ' In- 

 troduction to Entomology,' vol. ii. p. 66, and Newport, 

 * Trans, of the Entomological Society of London,' 

 vol. ii. p. 239. 



Forel, indeed, regards the movements observed by 

 Huber as having indicated fear and surprise rather than 

 affection ; though he is quite disposed to believe, from 

 his own observations, that ants would recognise one 

 another after a separation of several months. 

 1 Huber, p. 172. 



