EXPERIMENT WITH AN ATTA. 179 



again to the nest. Meeting one of her friends on the 

 way she conversed with her a little, then continued 

 towards the nest, but, after going about a foot, changed 

 her mind, and returned with her friend to the fly. 

 After some minutes, during which two or three other 

 ants came up, one of them detached a leg, which she 

 carried off to the nest, coming out again almost immedi- 

 ately with six friends, one of whom, curiously enough, 

 seemed to lead the way, tracing it, I presume, by scent. 

 I then removed the pin, and they carried off the fly in 

 triumph. 



Again, on June 15, 1878, another ant belonging to 

 the same nest had found a dead spider, about the same 

 distance from the nest. I pinned down the spider as 

 before. The ant did all in her power to move it ; but 

 after trying for twelve minutes, she went off to the nest. 

 Although for a quarter of an hour no other ant had left 

 the nest, yet in a few seconds she came out again with 

 10 companions. As in the preceding case, they followed 

 very leisurely. She ran on ahead and worked at the 

 spider for ten minutes ; when, as none of her friends 

 had arrived to her assistance, though they were wan- 

 dering about, evidently in search of something, she 

 started back home again. In three quarters of a 

 minute after entering the nest she reappeared, this 

 time with 15 friends, who came on somewhat more 

 rapidly than the preceding batch, though still but 

 lowly. By degrees, however, they all came up, and 

 after most persevering efforts carried off the .- 



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