ANTS 293 



18. Myrmica ruginodis. Common and widely distributed ; under stones, 

 in decayed wood. 



19. M. l&vinodis. Antennae not so long in male. 



20. M. scabrinodis. Pale rust-red. Scape of antennae distinctly elbowed. 

 Very common under stones. Covered with bright yellowish hairs. 



21. M. sulcinodis. Deep rust-red colour ; makes mounds like F. flava. 



22. M. lobicornis. Similar to above, but smaller ; with a lobe or spine on 

 the side of the antennae. Not common. 



23. Solenopsis fugax. The Little Yellow Robber Ant. Hairy. Found in 

 the nests of larger ants ; but rare. 



In addition to these, there are some twenty other species to be found, 

 many of which have been introduced in flowers, bulbs, and plants from abroad. 

 The hot-houses at Kew are a well-known hunting ground for most of these. 



Having given a list of the principal species of ants to be found in this 

 country, it remains to give a brief account of their life-history and manners. 



Of all the dumb creatures that live a community life, there can be none 

 more interesting than the ants. They possess remarkable intelligence, having, 

 as the size of their heads shows, a very large brain in comparison to the body ; 

 and they appear to display something more than automatic loyalty to the 

 society to which they belong. There are three sets of ants to be found in every 

 nest : Workers, which are sterile females, capable of laying eggs if the com- 

 munity is perishing from the lack of a queen ; males, which, like the drones 

 in a hive, do no work ; and females, or queens, which are always much larger 

 than the rest, and spend their time in laying eggs. 



The eggs are very minute (the so-called " ants' eggs " are really the pupae, 

 and generally pupae of females or queens) so small, in fact, that the workers, 

 whose duty it is to look after them, carry them in clusters. During the day 

 the eggs are brought up from the deeper parts of the nest to the surface, to get 

 the advantage of the sun's heat. 



In a few days they hatch into minute grubs, which are fed and cleaned 

 by the workers, and carried up and down the nest galleries to the various 

 chambers. They are sorted into sizes or ages by the workers, and grouped 

 together. The care and attention bestowed upon these helpless larvae are 

 most remarkable. If a nest should be opened, the workers on duty as nurses 

 immediately seize their charges and attempt to carry them into safety. A 

 larva appears to be able to show its desire for food by assuming a curved or 

 bent position. When lying straight, it is a sign that it is " full." The workers 

 feed the babes from their own mouths, and frequently caress them with their 

 antennae. 



Other workers go out and bring home food sometimes honey, nectar, 

 or other sweet liquid ; or food obtained from caterpillars which they kill, 

 or from some dead animal. This food they give to the others in the nest 

 by transferring it from mouth to mouth, the queens themselves (of which 

 there may be several in one nest) receiving their nourishment in the same 



