Animal Anecdotes 
Ramway trains have often been stopped by 
__¢urious obstacles, including ants 
oe aD nantine (see page 54 of this Volume), but 
probably no engine-driver has had 
a more surprising experience than that which 
recently befell a man employed upon the Assam 
le. He turned 
a corner suddenly 
—to find himself 
just behind a 
troop of savage 
elephants. The 
great creatures, 
evidently finding 
the iron road a 
pleasant path for 
travelling, had 
spread them- 
selves across it, 
making such a 
considerable ob- 
struction that the 
train was driven 
off the rails before 
the driver could 
bring it to a 
standstill. Then 
ensued confusion 
amongst the pas- 
sengers, but still 
more amongst the 
elephants. Hap- 
pily the former 
were scarcely 
hurt; the latter 
fled in wild con- 
fusion, utterly 
terrified by an 
enemy they did 
not understand. 
S/O 
“The elephants fled in wild confusion, utterly terrified by an enemy 
they did not understand.” 
Mr. Oswatp Latrsr, writing on the subject of 
wasps finding their way home, 
says: ‘I once had an oppor- 
tunity of seemg how wasps take 
their bearings. A lucky accident revealed a nest 
in an old meat-tin that had been thrown into 
The Wasp and 
his Home 
85 
a ditch. Wishing to observe the operations 
somewhat more comfortably, I cautiously lifted 
the tin on to the bank, a distance of two or three 
yards. The wasps that were abroad at the 
moment of removal all came straight back to 
the old spot in the ditch, and were evidently 
perplexed at the 
absence of their 
nest, but after 
some search 
most of them 
discovered it in 
its new position. 
Those, however, 
which were with- 
in noticed, as 
soon as they 
came to the exit 
preparatory to 
taking flight, that 
a change had 
oceurred, and 
paused upon the 
threshold, look- 
ing about and 
waving their 
antenne; then 
they took wing 
and hovered over 
the tin, flying to 
and fro im eyver- 
increasing 
swings, noting 
carefully the 
exact surround- 
ings. Soon their 
oscillations 
brought them to 
the edge of the 
ditch, and then, 
all being here 
familiar, they 
dashed straight away. After an interval wasps 
began returning direct to the nest in its new 
position, and I have no doubt that these were 
the workers who had thus carefully noted 
the alteration when they emerged from their 
home.” 
