PROCEEDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 111 
eb. 1, 1877.—Grorce Brntuam, F.R.S., Vice-President, in the chair. 
The following gentlemen were elected Fellows of the Society :—Messrs. 
George Boulger (Cressingham, Reading, Berks), Alfred 8. Heath (Primrose- 
hill Road, N.W.), and William Meller (Sewardstone, Woodford Green, Essex). 
Mr. Alfred W. Bennett exhibited and made some remarks on specimens 
of insects, illustrating mimicry. These species (Vespa and Asilus) were 
captured in Syria by Mr. N. Godman. 
Curious and interesting examples of double Anemones, and of unusually 
large oak-leaves gathered near Croydon were shown and commented on by 
Mr. Samuel Stevens. 
Sir John Lubbock, Bart., M.P., then proceeded to read the fourth part of 
his “ Contributions on the Habits of Ants, Bees and Wasps.” In this com- 
munication his experiments and observations related exclusively to different 
species of ants, and in the main were a continuation, though with considerable 
ingenious modifications, of his previous inquiries, to test the intelligence of 
these insects. In one instance, he filled a saucer with water, put a block 
of wood therein, and from the top of the block a horizontal wooden rod 
leading to a glass cell containing abundance of larve. A strip of paper 
was then placed as a kind of inclined plane between the latter and the nest. 
Another larger block of wood of an F shape, the horizontal arm of which 
overhung the glass cell with the larve, and merely separated by three-tenths 
of an inch from the latter, this space being occupied with a paper slip 
hanging right on to the larve; thus [7: there were two direct routes 
from the nest to the larve, which specimens of Lasius niger took advantage 
of and for several hours carried off larvie from the cell. But no sooner was 
the three-tenths of an inch interval left open than the ants were foiled in 
access to the larve, and neither were they intelligent enough to drop three- 
tenths of an inch or congregate en masse to the same height, and thus form 
a connection whereby their companions could get at the desired food-store. 
Industry was conspicuously shown{by one individual, which Sir John used 
to place in solitary confinement in a bottle as he left home for the day; but 
when liberated on his return home the creature immediately commenced 
labour. On one occasion, after a week’s absence, the ant was no sooner 
released than it bravely entered on its larval-gathering propensities. It 
seems from other experiments that ants in difficulties within sight of their 
companions are by no means always assisted or relieved, any store of honey 
or other food having attractions of far greater interest for them. On putting 
some specimens under the influence of chloroform, little or no notice was 
taken of their insensible companions; in some cases even their friends 
pushed them out of the way; the tendency was to let their friends lie, but 
strangers were dropped over the edge of the board. It seems that to get 
ants properly intoxicated with spirit, for experimental purposes, is no easy 
matter, some recovering too quickly, and others remaining so thoroughly 
