SIR JOHN ltjbbock: on ants, bees, and wasps. 271 



have the instinct of bringing up larvae and the power of founding 

 communities. The workers remained about six weeks in the ego-, 

 a month in the state of larvse, and 25-27 days as pup*. 



Communication 'between Ants. 



Every one knows that if an ant or a bee in the course of her 

 rambles has found a supply of food, a number of others will soon 

 make their way to the store. This, however, does not necessarily 

 imply any power of describing localities. A very simple sign 

 would suffice, and very little intelligence is implied, if the other 

 ants merely accompany their friend to the treasure which she 

 has discovered. On the other hand, if the ant or bee can describe 

 the locality, and send her friends to the food, the case is very 

 different. This point, therefore, seemed to me very important ; and 

 I have made a number of observations bearing on it, some of 

 which are ' recorded in my previous papers read before the 

 Society. 



The following may be taken as a type of what happens under 

 such circumstances. On June 12 I put a Lasius niger, belonging 

 to a nest which I had kept two or three days without food, to 

 some honey. She fed as usual, and then was returning to the 

 nest, when she met some friends, whom she proceeded to feed. 

 When she had thus distributed her stores, she returned alone to 

 the honey, none of the rest coming with her. When she had a 

 second time laid in a stock of food, she again in the same way fed 

 several ants on her way towards the nest ; but this time live of 

 those so fed returned with her to the honey. In due course 

 these five would no doubt have brought others, and so the 

 number at the honey would have increased. 



Some species, however, act much more in association than 

 others — Formica fusca, for instance, much less thaxi. Lasius niger. 

 I have already given an illustration of what happens when a X. 

 niger finds a store of food. The following is a great contrast. 

 On the 28th March I was staying at Arcachon. It was a 

 beautiful and very warm spring day, and numerous ants were 

 coursing about on the flagstones in front of my hotel. 



At about 10.45 I put a F. fusca to a raisin. She fed till 11.2, 

 when she went almost straight to her nest, which was about 12 

 feet away. In a few minutes she came out again, and returned 

 to the fruit, after a few small wanderings, at about 11.18. She 

 then fed till 11.30, when she returned to the nest. 



