CURIOUS MESSMATES 79 



ways, are made by some ants up the branches of 

 the trees where the aphides live, so that the insects 

 are enclosed and kept prisoners. Certain portions 

 of the tunnels are enlarged to form stables, where 

 the aphides are penned, the doors being large 

 enough for the narrow ants to enter and leave, 

 but not for the rotund plant-lice to escape. The 

 ' cows ' are induced to part with a drop of honey- 

 dew by a gentle stroking with the antennae, and 

 general encouragement of other kinds. Ants are 

 far in advance of human dairymaids in the matter 

 of tact in dealing with their cows. Colonies of 

 aphides have been carried by ants to fresh pastures/ 



A certain species of ant receives the grubs of a 

 fly as lodgers, but the host does not appear to pay 

 much attention to its strange companions, and, 

 according to reports, will, at times, even attempt 

 to slay them. Mr. Donisthorpe has found as many 

 as twelve of these grubs in an ants' nest in Somerset- 

 shire, and he states that should one of them be 

 removed it invariably dies in consequence. At 

 the end of April the grubs assume the chrysalis 

 form, and after a period of about thirty days the 

 perfect fly emerges, which, as soon as its wings 

 are sufficiently dry, then flies away from the home 

 that sheltered it during its previous stage of 

 existence. The female insects, however, ultimately 

 return to the nest, or another one situated in the 

 neighbourhood, in order to lay their eggs therein. 



A curious -looking creature, known as the spotted 

 amphisbaena, takes up its abode in the nests of 

 the South American saiiba or parasol ants. Accord- 



