I9O WILLIAM MORTON WHEELER. 



These strokes are always made downward, following thus the 

 direction of the hairs." ..." Not only the fore pair, but also 

 the other legs are passed — as above described — through the 

 mouth. The second and third pairs are also and oftener cleansed 

 by the fore legs, as follows : The ant throws herself over upon 

 her side, draws up the middle and hind legs, which are interlocked 

 at the tarsi, and then clasping them with one fore leg, presses the 

 other downward along the other two. The fore legs alternate in 

 this motion. When the legs on one side are cleansed, the ant 

 reverses her position and repeats the process. When the antennae 

 are cleansed they appear to be taken between the curved spur at 

 the extremity of the tibia and the tibia itself, as one would clasp 

 an object between the base of the thumb and the hand, and are 

 drawn along toward the tip of the flagellum evidently with one 

 pressure." The cleansing of the abdomen or gaster is described as 

 follows : " The hind legs are thrown backward and well extended, 

 the middle pair nearly straight outward from the thorax, and 

 less extended, so that the body is able to assume a nearly erect 

 posture. The abdomen is then turned under the body and 

 upward toward the head, which is at the same time bent over 

 and downward. The body of the ant thus forms a letter C, or 

 nearly a circle. The fore feet have meanwhile clasped the abdo- 

 men, and the work of brushing has begun. The strokes are 

 directed upward toward the apex of the abdomen, and the foot 

 passes around and beneath the under part, which is now toward 

 the sternum, the apex is frequently licked by the tongue, and the 

 feet are occasionally passed through the mouth (not simply be- 

 tween the mandibles), after which they are again applied as 

 before." 



This description is correct as far as it goes. The four clean- 

 ing reflexes, that of the antennae, sides of the head, posterior legs 

 and gaster, are distinctly differentiated and are so often repeated 

 in the artificial nest that they can be readily studied under a lens 

 of low magnification. These reflexes may be elicited with even 

 greater frequency by powdering the ants with dry dust, chalk or 

 plaster of Paris. 



The cleaning of the antennae, which is far and away the most 

 frequent of these reflexes, is sometimes abbreviated, as when the 



