SIR JOHN LUBBOCK ON ANTS, BEES, AND WASPS. 491 



honey which I had put out for their use. From that time to the 

 present (Oct. 30) I have observed no other ant at the honey, 

 while, on the contrary, I have found this particular ant feeding 

 over and over again, — for instance, on the 12th, 13th, 14.th, 15th, 

 17th, 19th, 20th, 24th, 2uth, 2Gth, 27th, and 28th of September, 1st, 

 5th, 12th, 19th, 22nd, 24th, and 30th of October. As I was away 

 sometimes for two or three days together, and am generally only at 

 home in the mornings and evenings, it is very probable that this 

 ant visited the honey every day, and took in stores to her com- 

 panions. I have already mentioned a somewhat similar though 

 less marked case. 



Concerning Affection and BeTiaviour to Wounded. 



As regards the affection of ants for one another, Latreiile makes 

 the following statement : — " Le sens de I'odorat," he says*, " se 

 manifestant d'une maniere aussi sensible, je voulois profiter de 

 cette remarque pour en decouvrir le siege. On a soupgonne 

 depuis longtemps qu'il residoit dans les antennes. Je les arrachai 

 a plusieurs fourmis fauves ouvrieres, aupres du nid desquelles je 

 me trouvois. Je vis aussitot ces petits animaux que j'avois ainsi 

 rautiles tomber dans un etat d'ivresse ou une espece de folie. lis 

 erroient ga et la, et ne reconnoissoient plus leur chemin. lis 

 ni'occupoient ; mais je n'etais pas le seul. Quelques autres fourmis 

 s'approeherent de ces pauvres affligees, porterent leur langue sur 

 leurs blessures, et y laisserent tomber une goutte de liqueur. Cet 

 acte de sensibilite se renouvela plusieurs fois ; je I'observoi avec 

 une loupe. Animaux compatissans ! quelle legon ne donnez-vous 

 pas aux hommes." 



" Jamais," says M. de Saint Targeauf, "une Fourmi n'eu ren- 

 contre une de son espece blessee, sans I'enlever et la transporter a 

 la fourmiliere. L'y soigne-t-elle ? Je ne sais, mais je vols dans 

 ce fait une bienveillance que je ne retrouve dans aueun autre 

 insecte, meme social." 



I have not felt disposed to repeat M. Latreille's experiment, 

 nor have I been so fortunate as to witness such a scene acci- 

 dentally. My limited experiences have been of the opposite 

 character. On one occasion (Aug. 13) a worker of F. nigra. 

 belonging to one of my nests, had got severely wounded, but 

 not so much so that she could not feed; for though she had 

 * Hist. Nat. des Fourmis. p. 41. 

 t Hist. N.it. des Ins. Hymen, vol. i. p. 09. 



