ANTS— GENERAL INTELLIGENCE. 133 



I was also in this way able to see for myself much that I 

 otherwise could not have seen. Thus I was able to watch the 

 operation of removing roots which Lad pierced through their 

 galleries, belonging to seedling plants growing on the surface, 

 and which was performed by two ants, one pulling at the free 

 end of the root, and the other gnawing at its fibres where the 

 strain was greatest, until at length it gave way. 



And again, — 



Two ants sometimes combine their efforts, when one stations 

 itself near the base of the peduncle, and gnaws it at the point of 

 greatest tension, while the other hauls upon and twists it. . . . 

 I have occasionally seen ants engaged in cutting the capsules 

 of certain plants, drop them, and allow their companions below 

 to carry them away. 



Lastly, the statements of these three observers taken 

 together serve to render credible the following quotation 

 from Bingley,^ who says that in Captain Cook's expedition 

 in New South Wales ants were seen by Sir Joseph Banks 

 and others — 



As green as a leaf, which live upon trees and build their 

 nests of various sizes, between that of a man's head and his fist. 

 These nests are of a very curious structure : they are formed by 

 bending down several of the leaves, each of which is as broad 

 as a man's hand, and gluing the points of them together so as 

 to form a purse. The viscous matter used for this purpose is 

 an animal juice. . . . Their method of bending down leaves we 

 had no opportunity to observe ; but we saw thousands uniting 

 all their strength to hold them in this position, while other busy 

 multitudes were employed within, in applying this gluten, that 

 was to prevent their returning back. To satisfy ourselves that 

 the leaves were bent and held down by the efforts of these dimi- 

 nutive artificers, we disturbed them in their work ; and as soon 

 as they were driven from their station, the leaves on which they 

 •were employed sprang up with a force much greater than we 

 could have thought them able to conquer by any combination 

 of their strength. 



This remarkable fact also seems to be corroborated 

 by the following independent observation of Sir E. 

 Tennent : — 



* Animal Biography, * Ants/ 



