; 
Suly 24, 
1873] — 
NATURE 
251 
diately emerge and bear them to the common heap, as if 
conscious of having been guilty of an error. A smaller 
‘hole near to the south-east corner of the square, is the 
only other means by which the interior can be reached, 
and down this aperture, marked 4, the flowers gathered 
by the black workers are carried along the line ¢, from 
the heap in the centre of the square, by a number of 
smaller yellow workers (No. 1), who, with their weaker 
frames and less developed mouth organs, seem adapted 
for the gentler office of nurses for the colony within. It 
is remarkable that no black ant is ever-seen upon the 
line ¢, and no yellow one ever approaches the line a, each 
keeping his own separate station and following his 
given line of duty with a steadfastness which is as 
wonderful as it is admirable. By removing the 
soil to a depth of about three feet, and tracing the 
course of the galleries from the entrance (4) and (@), 
a small excavation is reached, across which is spread in 
the form of a spider’s web, a net work of squares spun by 
the insects, the squares being about one-quarter inch 
across, and the ends of the web fastened firmly to the 
earth of the sides of the hollow space which forms the 
bottom of the excavation. In each one of the squares, 
supported by the web, sits one of the honey-making 
workers (No. 2), apparently in the condition of a prisoner, 
as it does not appear that these creatures ever quit the 
nest. Indeed it would be difficult for them to do so, as 
their abdomens are so swollen out by the honey which 
they contain, as to render locomotion a task of difficulty, 
if not to make it utterly impossible. 
The workers (No. 1), provide them with a constant 
supply of flowers and pollen, which, by a process analo- 
gous to that of the bee, they convert into honey. The 
fact that the remainder of the inhabitants feed on the 
supply thus obtained, though it is surmised, has not been 
established by actual observation ; indeed with reference 
to many of the habits of these creatures, we are at present 
left in total ignorance, it being a reasonable supposition 
that, in insects so remarkable in many of their habits, 
other interesting facts are yet to be brought to light re- 
specting them. It would be of great value to learn the 
specific rank of the black workers (No. 3), and to know 
the sexes of the species forming the community, their 
season and manner of pairing, and whether the honey- 
makers are themselves used as food, or if they excrete 
their saccharine fluid for the benefit of the inhabitants in 
general, and then proceed to distil more. I regret that 
at this time I am only able to bring before the notice of 
the Academy, specimens of the honey-makers (No. 2), 
the other members of the community, except from Captain 
Fleeson’s description, being quite unknown to me. It is, 
however, my hope that at a future meeting I may be 
enabled to exhibit the other varieties, and to give some 
more extended information upon this very interesting 
subject. The honey is much sought after by the Mexi- 
cans, who not only use it as a delicate article of food, but 
apply it to bruised and swollen limbs, ascribing to it great 
healing properties. The species is said to be very abun- 
dant in the neighbourhood of Santa Fé, New Mexico, 
in which district the observations of Capt. Fleeson were 
ic 
NOTES 
Tne artangements for the forty-third meeting of the British 
Association at Bradford, have been pretty nearly completed. 
The General Committee will meet on September 17, the 
opening day, at 1 P.M., for the election of sectional officers, | 
and the despatch of business usually brought before that body. 
The concluding meeting takes place on September 24. We 
regret very much to hear that Mr. Joule, on account of ill- 
health, has been compelled to resign the presidency; Prof. 
W. A. Williamson, will, it is said, be appointed in his place. 
THE forty-sixth meeting of the German Association of Natu- 
ralists and Physicians will be held this year at Wiesbaden from 
September 18 to 24. Communications are to be addressed to 
Drs. Fresenius and Haas Senior, 
WE are glad to see so influential a paper as the Times give 
so prominent a place to a notice of Sir Charles Wheatstone’s 
election to the French Academy, which we ourselves noted a 
fortnight ago. There is no doubt that if we take into considera- 
tion the amount and value of the services Sir Charles has 
rendered to Science, both in its theoretical and practical aspects, 
he must be ranked as among the most eminent men of the time, 
The followingis the notice in the Zivtes :-— 
“Sir Charles Wheatstone was elected, on the 30th ult., Foreig 
Associate of the French Academy of Sciences, to fill the vacancy 
occasioned by the death of Baron Liebig. He was for many 
years previously corresponding member of the Academy ; but 
the honour recently conferred upon him is the highest which it is 
in the power of that body to confer upon a foreigner. The elec- 
tion was nearly unanimous, as he obtained 43 out of 45 votes. 
Sir Charles has also lately received from the French Society for 
the Encouragement of National Industry the great medal of 
Ampére, which is awarded every six years for what is consi- 
dered the most important application of Science to Industry. 
The former recipients of this medal were Henri Sainte-Claire 
Deville, who introduced the manufacture of aluminum; De 
Lesseps, the Engineer of the Suez Canal; and Boussingault, 
distinguished for his researches in agriculture. 
GusTAv Ross, the celebrated mineralogist, died after a few 
days’ illness on the 15th inst., in the 75th year of his age and the 
5oth of his connection with the University of Berlin, His mind 
and power of work remained unimpaired almost to the last, and 
he was able on his sick bed to dictate to his son the results of 
his last researches. 
Mr. J. S. DAVENPORT was elected on Wednesday, the 16th 
inst., Assistant-Secretary to the Royal Horticultural Society, in 
the place of Mr. Richards, who has accepted a post under the 
Commissioners of the International Exhibition. 
THE Chair of Physiology at Edinburgh is likely to be soon 
vacant, we believe, by the resignation of Prof. Hughes Bennet, 
from ill health. There are several likely candidates for the 
prospective vacancy, all of them good men :—Dr. McKendrick, 
who has for some time efficiently discharged the duties of the 
chair, and a paper by whom in conjunction with Mr. James 
Dewar, on the Physiological Action of Light, we published a 
fortnight ago; Prof. Rutherford, a former assistant of Prof. 
Bennet’s, and Dr. J. Bell Pettigrew, F.R.S., who has distin- 
guished himself as an investigator in comparative anatomy. 
) There is a rumour that Prof. Burdon Sanderson is also a candi- 
date. 
WE regret very much to hear that Mr. Saville Kent has 
resigned his position in connection with the Brighton 
Aquarium. We do not desire to express any opinion upon 
the misunderstanding which has resulted in Mr. Kent’s 
resignation, but we cannot help saying that we consider it 
a great loss to Science that the Aquarium is now without 
a resident naturalist. The Brighton Aquarium offers un- 
equalled opportunities for studying the habits of fishes, and 
during Mr. Kent’s short connection with the establishment he 
has considerably increased our knowledge of this department of 
Natural History, and we confidently looked to the Aquarium to 
add still more to scientific knowledge in this direction. It would 
be a grievous thing, indeed, if the Directors should allow their 
fine establishment to degenerate into a mere place of popular 
amusement, : 
