ANTS— SYMPATHY. 47 



The next morning again, when I got up, I found five ants 

 round the bottle containing the strangers, none near the friends. 

 As in the former case, one of the ants had seized a stranger by 

 the leg, and was trying to drag her through the muslin. All 

 day the ants clustered round the bottle, and bit perseveringly, 

 though not systematically, at the muslin. The same thing hap- 

 pened all the following day. 



On repeating these experiments with another species (viz., 

 Formica rufescens) the ants took no notice of either bottle, 

 and showed no sign either of affection or hatred. One is almost 

 tempted to surmise that the spirit of these ants is broken by 

 slavery \i.e. by the habit of keeping slaves]. But the experi- 

 ments on F. fusca seem to show that in these curious insects 

 hati'ed is a stronger passion than affection. 



We must not, however, too readily assent to this 

 general conclusion, that ants as a whole are deficient in 

 the tenderer emotions ; for although the case is doubtless 

 so with the species which Sir John examined, it appears 

 to be certainly otherwise with other species, as we shall 

 presently see. But first it may be well to point out that 

 even the hard-hearted species with which Sir John had to 

 do seem not altogether devoid of sympathy with sick or 

 mutilated friends, although they appear to be so towards 

 healthy friends in distress. TKus the care shown to 

 intoxicated friends seems to indicate, if not, as already 

 observed, a dim sense of sympathy, at least an instinct to 

 preserve the life of an ailing citizen for the future benefit 

 of the community. Sir John also quotes some observa^ 

 tions of Latreille showing that ants display sympathy with 

 mutilated companions ; and, lastly, mentions an instance 

 which he has himself observed of the same thing. A spe- 

 cimen of F, fusca congenitally destitute of antennae was 

 attacked and injured by an ant of another species. When 

 separated by Sir John, another ant of her own species 

 came by. ' She examined the poor sufferer carefully, then 

 picked her up tenderly, and carried her away into the 

 nest. It would have been difficult for any one who 

 witnessed this scene to have denied to this ant the pos- 

 session of humane feelings.' Moggridge is also of opinion 

 that the habit of throwing sick and apparently dead ants 



