42 Ants. 



VI. 



1. The behaviour of ants to one another differs 

 much according to circumstances ; whether, for in- 

 stance, they are alone, or supported by friends. An 

 ant which would run away in the first case will de- 

 fend herself bravely in the second. 



On one occasion several ants belonging to one of 

 my nests were feeding on some honey spread on a 

 slip of glass. One of them had got thoroughly 

 entangled in it. I took her and put her down 

 just in front of another individual belonging to the 

 same nest, and close by I placed a drop of honey. 

 The ant devoted herself to the honey and entirely 

 neglected her friend, whom she left to perish. 

 I then chloroformed one, and put her on the board 

 among her friends. Several touched her, but from 

 12 to 2.30 P.M. none took any particular notice of 

 her. 



2. On the other hand, I have only on one occasion 

 seen a living ant expelled from her nest. I observed 

 (April 23, 1880) an ant carrying another belonging 

 to the same community away from the nest The 

 condemned ant made a very feeble resistance. The 

 first ant carried her burthen hither and thither for 

 some time, evidently trying to get away from the 

 nest, which was enclosed by a barrier of fur. After 



