Ants. 17 



in single nests Forel estimates the numbers at 

 from 5,000 to 500,000. 



Ants also make for themselves roads. These 

 are not merely worn by the continued passage of 

 the ants, as has been supposed ; but are actually 

 prepared by the ants, rather, however, by the 

 removal of obstacles than by any actual construc- 

 tion. In some cases these roadways are arched 

 over with earth, so as to form covered ways. In 

 others, the ants excavate regular subterranean 

 tunnels, sometimes of considerable length. 



3. The food of ants consists of insects, great 

 numbers of which they destroy ; of honey, honey- 

 dew, and fruit indeed, scarcely any animal or sweet 

 substance comes amiss to them. Some species 

 such, for instance, as the small brown Garden Ant 

 ascend bushes in search of aphides (fig. 6). 

 The ant then taps the aphis gently with her 

 antennae, and the aphis emits a drop of sweet 

 fluid, which the ant drinks. Sometimes the ants 

 even build covered ways up to and over the 

 aphides, which, moreover, they protect from the 

 attacks of other insects. Our English ants do not 

 store up provision for the winter ; indeed, their 

 food is not of a nature which would admit of this. 



4. Ants have many enemies. They themselves, 

 and still more their young, are a favourite food of 

 many animals. They are attacked also by nume- 

 rous parasites. If a nest of the brown ant is 

 disturbed at any time during the summer, some 



C 



