12 



THE BOOK OF NATURE STUDY 



If a nest be disturbed or broken into, the workers will be seen 

 hurrying about and carrying in their jaws larvae of various sizes, 

 and cocoons containing pupae, in an endeavour to convey them 

 to a place of safety. It is these cocoons which are commonly 

 sold as " ant's eggs " for feeding pheasants, gold-fish, etc. The 

 larvae of some species do not spin cocoons, but become pupae 

 without any protection ; and occasionally members of species 

 which normally form cocoons omit to do so without suffering 

 injury. Within the nests there are found many animals other 

 than the responsible tenants ; these include (i) various beetles, 

 some of which are never found in other situations, while some 

 are blind, and some remarkably like the ants themselves both 

 in colour and movements ; (2) various aphides (green-fly) and other 



FIG. 6. Ant " milking " an aphis. 



insects of the bug family, these are brought in by the ants 

 and kept for the sake of the sugary liquid which they emit when 

 caressed by the antennae of their captors ; (3) a peculiar kind 

 of wood-louse, which is both white and blind ; (4) other species 

 of ants ; in some cases these have been taken captive and serve 

 as slaves, but in others the relation subsisting between the species 

 found in the same nest is as yet unknown. 



The food consists of honey, fruit, the " honey-dew " secreted 

 by aphides, in fact any sugary substance ; also of caterpillars 

 and other insects, and of the flesh of dead animals ; indeed, 

 skeletons of animals are sometimes obtained by placing the 

 carcase in or near an ant-heap in order that the flesh may be 

 stript from the bones ; and in parts of Norway and Iceland clothes, 

 especially furs, are cleaned by putting them over ant-hills. None 

 of our English ants lay up stores of food for the winter, but they 



