492 SIR JOHN LTJBBOCK ON ANTS, BEES, AND WASPS. 



lost five of her tarsi, finding herself near some syrup, she crept to 

 it and began to feed. I laid her gently on her back close to the 

 entrance into the nest. Soon an ant came up to the poor suiferer, 

 crossed antennae with her for a moment, then went quietly on to 

 tlie syrup and began to feed. Afterwards three other ants did the 

 same ; but none took any more notice of her. 



Aug. 15. I found at 1 p.m. a Myrmica ruginodis which had lost 

 the terminal portion of both her antennae. She seemed to have 

 lost her wits. I put her into her nest ; but the others took no 

 notice of her ; and after wandering about a little, she retired into a 

 solitary place, where she remained from 3 p.m. to 8 without moving. 

 The following morning I looked for her at 5.30, and found her 

 still at the same spot. She remained there till 9, when she came 

 out. She remained out all day ; and the following morning I found 

 her dead. 



Indeed I have often been surprised that in certain cases ants 

 render one another so little assistance. The tenacity with which 

 they retain their hold on an enemy they have once seized is well 

 known. M. Mocquerys even assures us that the Indians of Brazil 

 made use of this quality in the case of wounds ; causing an ant to 

 bite the two lips of the cut and thus bring them together, after which 

 they cut off the ant's head, which thus holds the lips of the wound 

 together. He asserts that he has often seen natives with wounds 

 in course of healing with the assistance of seven or eight ants' 

 heads * ! Now I have often observed that some of my ants had 

 the heads of others hanging on to their legs for a considerable 

 time ; and as this must certainly be very inconvenient, it seems 

 remarkable that their friends should not relieve them of such an 

 awkward encumbrance. 



jRecognition of Friends. 



I have also made some experiments on the power possessed by 

 ants of recognizing their friends. It will be remembered that 

 Huber gives a most interesting account of the behaviour of some 

 ants, which, after being separated for four months, when brought 

 together again, immediately recognized one another, and " fell to 

 mutual caresses with their antennae." Forel, on the contrary, 

 regards these movements as indicating fear and surprise rather 

 than affection, though he also is quite inclined to believe, from his 



* Ann. Soc. Ent. France, 2 S6r. torn. ii. p. 67. 



