50 Ants. 



The last three were put back on May 14, 1877, 

 that is to say, after a separation of a year and nine 

 months, and yet they were amicably received, and 

 evidently recognised as friends ! 



That ants and bees have a certain power of com- 

 munication cannot be denied, but how far their 

 powers reach is very doubtful. 



3. Every one knows that if an ant or a bee in the 

 course of her rambles has found a supply of food, 

 a number of others will soon make their way to 

 the store. This, however, does not necessarily 

 imply any power of describing localities. A very 

 simple sign would suffice, and very little intelli- 

 gence is implied, if the other ants merely accom- 

 pany their friend to the treasure which she has 

 discovered. On the other hand, if the ant or bee 

 can describe the locality, and send her friends to 

 the food, the case is very different This point, 

 therefore, seemed to me very important; and I 

 have made a number of observations bearing on it. 



4. The following may be taken as a type of what 

 happens under such circumstances. On June 12, 

 1874, I put an ant, belonging to a nest which I 

 had kept two or three days without food, to some 

 honey. She fed as usual, and then was returning 

 to the nest, when she met some friends, whom she 

 proceeded to feed. When she had thus distributed 

 her stores, she returned alone to the honey, none 

 of the rest coming with her. When she had a 

 second time laid in a stock of food, she again in 



