NATURE 



THURSDAY, JUNE 3, j? 



ANTS, BEES, AND WASPS 

 Ants, Bees, and Wasps j a Record of Observations on the 

 Social Hymenoptera. Bv Sir |olin Lubbock, Bart., 

 M.P., F.R.S., D.C.L., LL.D., Pres. B.A. and L.S., &c. 

 International Scientific Series, Vol. XL. (London: 

 Kegan Paul, Trench, and Co., 1882.) . 



SIR JOHN LUBBOCK has done well to gather all the 

 results of his serially published observations on the 

 social hymenoptera in one treatise, and to bring out the 

 treatise in the International Scientific Series. On the one 

 hand the extensive and important research on which he 

 has for so many years been engaged is thus presented to 

 the naturalist no longer in the form of scattered papers, 

 and on the other hand the International Scientific Series, 

 both on account of its popularity at home, and of its well- 

 organised machinery for securing rapid translations 

 abroad, is the most suitable place for publishing remits 

 which are in so eminent a degree of interest to general 

 readers. 



Looking to the investigations as a whole, or in the 

 connected form in which they are now presented, we think 

 that they deserve to be considered the most scientifically 

 methodical, as well as in many respects the most scien- 

 tifically fruitful, which have hitherto been prosecuted in 

 the region of comparative psychology. In saying this we 

 do not forget the investigations of Reaumur, Huber, 

 Forel, Darwin, Moggridge, McCook, Morgan, or Spald- 

 ing — all of whom we regard as holding more substantial 

 claims to recognition in this respect than many others 

 who might be mentioned in the same connection. But 

 when we compare the researches of Sir John Lubbock 

 with those of any other comparative psychologist, we find 

 that he has the merit of showing, if not the greatest ap- 

 preciation of scientific method, at least the greatest deter- 

 mination in applying such method to the questions with 

 which comparative psychology has to deal. Darwin and 

 Spalding are the only other men who in this department 

 of science have shown an adequate estimate of the im- 

 portance of experiment as distinguished from observation ; 

 but neither Darwin nor Spalding had time to experiment 

 in psychology on a large scale — the former having had so 

 many other lines of inductive and deductive research to 

 attend to, and the latter having died so young. Thus it 

 is that when we compare the investigations of Sir John 

 Lubbock with those of other workers in the field of 

 animal psychology, we must assign to him the first place 

 among these workers as a scientific observer. 



For the most part the volume before us is a reprint of 

 the papers read before the Linnean Society, with only as 

 much re-casting as is rendered necessary to give a syste- 

 matic form to the book. A few coloured plates, however, 

 are added, as well as a brief account of some of the chief 

 facts recorded by other observers of ants. The latter, 

 indeed, is slender, and is not even attempted in the case 

 of bees ; so that the essay is strictly, as its title proclaims, 

 "A record of observations on the social hymenoptera'; 

 it is not an account of all that we know concerning the 

 psychology of these animals. As the essay is sure to 

 attain a wide popularity, it is perhaps to be regretted that 

 Vol. xxvi.— No. 658 



its author did not take the opportunity of disseminating 

 complete information upon so interesting a subject, to- 

 gether with the " record " of his own " observations." But 

 this is a matter on which opinions are likely to differ, and 

 there can be no doubt that within the scope laid down by 

 its title, the work is admirably arranged. 



We shall now proceed briefly to enumerate the principal 

 results which this record of observations sets forth. 



The longevity of ants has been found to be much 

 greater than was formerly supposed, for while previous 

 observers were for the most part of the opinion that these 

 insects die off every year, Sir John says : — 



" I have now (December, 1881) two queens which have 

 lived with me since the year 1874. They must therefore 

 be at least seven years old, and seem still quite strong 

 and well. I have also some workers which I have had in 

 my nests since 1875." 



The following facts and opinions on questions of 

 morphology may be quoted ; — 



" I must regard the ancestral ant as having possessed a 

 sting, and consider that the rudimentary condition of thai 

 of Formica is due to atrophy, perhaps through disuse." 



Some species have the power of ejecting their poison to 

 a considerable distance — as much as eighteen inches— 

 and this power might have led to the sting falling into 

 disuse, especially if the poison is, as it appears to be, " so 

 intensified in virulence as to act through the skin." 



" The question arises whether the different kinds of 

 workers are produced from different eggs. I am disposed 

 to agree with Westwood in the opinion ' that the inha- 

 bitants of the nest have the instinct so to modify the cir- 

 cumstances producing this state of imperfection, that 

 some neuters shall exhibit characters at variance with 

 those of the common kind.' " 



"Among bees and wasps the workers are occasionally 

 fertile ; but so far as our observations go, it is a curious 

 fact that their eggs never produce females, either queens 

 or workers, but alwa\s males. ... It became therefore 

 an interesting question whether the same is the case 

 among ants, and my nests have supplied me with some 

 facts bearing on the question." 



These facts consist of numerous cases of fertile eggs 

 having been laid by workers, and in every case with the 

 result of producing a male insect. 



With regard to psychology, we have only space to allude 

 briefly to the more important results. 



Experiments showed that certain individual ants in a 

 community "are told off as foragers, and that during 

 winter, when little food is required,' two or three are 

 sufficient to provide it.'' 



Observations concerning sympathy and affection went 

 to show, that while in most cases such feelings seemed to 

 be entirely absent, in some cases they seemed to be 

 certainly present. This was so in an instance observed 

 last year, of a " poor ant lying on her back, and quite 

 unable to move." Her companions moved her tenderlv, 

 for whenever Sir John " tried uncovering the nest where 

 she was, the other ants soon carried her into the shaded 

 part," and when they left the nest for an airing, they 

 carried the invalid with them. 



It was previously known that all the ants in the same 

 nest recognise one another as friends. Sir John tried 

 chloroforming and intoxicating certain individuals, to see 

 whether this would prevent their being so recognised. 



