10 HAUNTS AND HOBBIES 



air in the hot season is always thickly laden, soon forms 

 a film on the water, and over this film, thin as it is, the 

 ants are able to pass. 



But now a question arises: By what means do the ants 

 discover the food ? Is it by sight or by scent ? Or in 

 the course of their incessant wanderings do they come 

 on it by accident ? This question has been much debated, 

 but never, that I am aware, been quite satisfactorily 

 determined. Having so many ants about, I resolved to 

 try some experiments to throw, if I could, some light on 

 the subject. My experiments were very numerous ; one 

 or two of them I will relate. 



The first experiment was performed in this north 

 verandah. It was suggested by a long, thick nail that 

 projected from the wall, driven in by some former 

 occupant of the house. The nail was about six feet 

 above the floor, and projected some three inches from 

 the face of the wall. From the end of this nail I sus- 

 pended a piece of stiff paper by means of some fine 

 twine. I passed the twine through the four corners, so 

 that the paper hung flat like a small platform. Then 

 on the upper surface of the paper I placed a little heap 

 of powdered sugar. I did this one day on returning 

 from my early morning ride. 



For three days the sugar remained untouched ; not an 

 ant came near it. Then I varied the experiment. It 

 was in the morning: the floor, as usual, was covered with 

 ants ; I carefully lifted one with a card and placed him 

 on the paper. He ran at once to the sugar and com- 

 menced to eat it. Towards sunset, when the heat had 

 diminished, I went again to the verandah. I found a 



