46 Ants. 



7. In May, 1879, I gave a lecture on ants at the 

 Royal Institution, and was anxious to exhibit a 

 nest of the little yellow ant with the queen. While 

 preparing the nest, on May 9, we accidentally 

 crushed the queen. The ants, however, did not 

 desert her, or drag her out as they do dead workers, 

 but, on the contrary, carried her with them into the 

 new nest, and subsequently into a larger one with 

 which I supplied them, congregating round her, 

 just as if she had been alive, for more than six 

 weeks, when we lost sight of her. 



8. In order to ascertain whether ants knew their 

 tellows by any sign or pass-word, as has been 

 suggested in the case of bees, I was anxious to see 

 if they could recognise them when in a state of 

 insensibility. I tried, therefore, the following ex- 

 periments with some specimens of the little yellow 

 ant : 



September 10, at 6 P.M., a number of these ants 

 were out feeding on some honey, placed on one of 

 my tables, and surrounded by a moat of water. I 

 then took several ants, some belonging to the same 

 nest and some from another, and intoxicated them. 

 To do this I was obliged to put them for a few 

 moments in spirit, for no ant would voluntarily 

 drink more than was good for it. The sober ants 

 took them up one by one. Their own friends they 

 carried into the nest, while they threw the strangers 

 into the ditch. 



9. It seems clear, therefore, that even in a condi- 



