‘March 2, 1882] | 
NATURE 
407 
the barricade, after which the general exit occurs. Again | Lastly, Dr. McCook has satisfactorily ascertained that 
there is a rush of workers almost immediately after the 
first break, who usually “spread over the hill, bustling 
around the gate, gradually widening the circles, and 
finally push out into the surrounding herbage. At first the 
exit hole is the size of a pea, perfectly round, and plainly 
shows that sand and soil have been used under the grave] 
to seal up the gate. The whole appeared to have been 
cemented, probably by the moisture of the night dew. 
“The process of closing the gates is even more inter- 
esting to the observer than the opening, as the various 
steps are’more under his notice... . At nest A the 
closing was chiefly from within. The workers pushed 
the sand from the inside outwards with their heads. A 
grass straw about an inch long was brought from the 
interior and pushed out until it lay across the gate as a 
stay for the filling material. Soil was here principally 
used for closing, a few pebbles being added.” In another 
case, ‘‘when the gate was nearly closed a straggling 
minor came back from the commons and essayed en- 
trance, wherein she failed. Several trials and failures 
succeeded, whereupon she commenced dragging the dirt 
from the opening. While thus engaged the major ap- 
proached with a huge bit of gravel, which she deposited 
on her comrade with as much nonchalance as though she 
were one of the adjoining pebbles. At last the minor 
dug out a tiny hole through which she squeezed into the 
nest, and the major, who was deliberately approaching 
close behind her, carrying another pebble, immediately 
sealed upthe opening. During this amusing episode the 
straggler made no effort to aid in the closing, being 
wholly intent on entering, and the gate-closer paid no 
attention to her whatever, beyond the first sudden and 
satisfactory antennal challenge. Each moved forward 
to her own duty with the undisturbed plasticity of a 
machine.”’ 
This ‘‘by-play ” between the gate-closers and the late- 
returning foragers is not the exception but the rule; 
nevertheless it does not appear that the foragers ever so 
far miscalculate their time as to arrive after the gates are 
completely closed. When the gates are all but closed 
there is generally but a single ant engaged in the closing 
process from without ; this ant slips in at the last moment, 
and the process is finally concluded from within. The 
gates are similarly shut during the day-time if the weather 
seems to threaten a heavy rain-storm. 
In disposition the Occident Ants, though provided with 
very formidable stings, are exceedingly mild and un- 
warlike -so much so, indeed, that even when greatly 
incommoded by the tiny but viscous erratic ants which 
Dr. McCook observed on one occasion to have imper- 
tinently established a nest within their “ clearing,’ they 
would not dislodge or even fight their insignificant foes, 
but “‘ entirely abandoned their old avenue, cut down and 
around the erratic colony, and made an opening on the 
edge of a slight ridge several inches beyond the disputed 
territory, but still in the line of the avenue which they 
had been using in their work. A tithe of the pains re- 
quired for this task would have literally cut out and 
carried away the whole nest space of the erratics, whose 
scant numbers of diminutive warriors could have been 
overwhelmed in a moment by the legions of their huge 
hosts.” 
these Occident Ants present the same habits of “ harvest- 
ing” as those which were previously known to occur in 
the allied species of Florida and Texas. His work as a 
whole deserves warm commendation, and we trust that 
the success which has attended his study of the sundry 
species of ants that have hitherto engaged his attention, 
will induce him to extend his researches to those other 
species on the American continent which present habits 
and instincts, if possible, more remarkable than those 
which he has done so much to elucidate. 
GEORGE J. ROMANES 
OUR BOOK SHELF 
The Story of our Museum, showing how we Formed it, 
and what it Taught us. By the Rev. Henry Housman, 
A.K.C., &c., &c. (London: Society for Promoting 
Christian Knowledge, 1881.) 
THIS is a most excellent book for a- boy with a taste for 
natural history. It describes in a pleasing and natural 
way how two boys living in a country village in Glouces- 
tershire began to make a museum. It narrates all their 
difficulties, their failures, and their successes; and how, 
by perseverance, and with very little expense, they gradu- 
ally formed a collection illustrating the whole range of 
the natural history and antiquities of their district, in- 
cluding, besides, postage-stamps and autographs. How 
much pleasure and how much knowledge are to be ob- 
tained while forming such a collection is very well shown ; 
and though there is little novelty in the book, occasional 
diffuseness in the treatment, and hardly any passages that 
will bear separate quotation, these trifling deficiencies do 
not at all detract from its merit as a book for boys, which 
is all that it pretends to be. 
The one decided innovation on the almost universal 
practice of collectors is, the strong recommendation of a 
natural system of mounting butterflies and moths. The 
usual mode of exhibiting the lepidoptera, all set out with 
expanded wings on one horizontal plane, is objected to 
as being monotonous and completely false to nature. 
Of course in an extensive systematic collection this | 
method is absolutely necessary, for classification, easy 
reference, comparison, and critical examination; but in 
forming a purely local collection, the superior advantage 
of the natural system of mounting are strongly advocated, 
at least for the butterflies and allthe larger moths. These 
should be exhibited sitting or flying, with the wings 
elevated or depressed, as if alive, and the legs and 
antenne placed in natural positions. Of course this 
requires glass cases for these insects as for birds; but 
when the collection is restricted this is no objection; and 
by exhibiting the preserved larvz, eggs, and pupz, along 
with the perfect insects in all their different natural atti- 
tudes, it is maintained that much more instruction will 
be afforded, while the effect will be far more picturesque 
and pleasing than the straight rows of unnaturally ex- 
panded insects can ever be. 
The only other part of this volume calling for further 
notice here, is an appendix, “On the Arrangement of 
Natural History Collections,” in which the more natural 
and attractive arrangement of the galleries of public 
museums is strongly advocated. As regards the higher 
animals, there is nothing fresh in these recommendations ; 
but the author also urges the exhibition of complete 
series of such fossil species as illustrate the persistence of 
types or the development of forms throughout consider- 
able geological periods. This, however, is never done in 
our great public museums. In the case of living animals 
the species are exhibited in systematic groups, while no 
attempt is made to show the equally interesting geo- 
graphical grouping ; while with extinct animals an opposite 
