118 Sm J. LTJBBOCK ON AKTS, BEES, AND WASfS. 



different communities are placed together in a confined space, 

 thougli at first a little sliy, they gradually make friends. I thought 

 therefore I would take a few specimens of Formica fusca from 

 two different nests, which we will call nests A and B, place them 

 together, and then, when they had lived together for some time, 

 introduce the ants from nest A into nest B and vice versa. Ac- 

 cordingly, baving first ascertained by direct experiment, though 



I had myself no doubt on the point, that the ants in nest A would 

 attack and expel an ant from nest B, and vice versa, I took two 

 ants from nest A on the 2nd December 1880, and put them in a 

 small glass with two others from nest B. 



Then, on the 23rd January, I put the two ants from nest A 

 into nest B. One of them was at once attacked ; about the other 

 we could not be sure. Unluckily the two ants from nest B were 

 killed by an accident. 



On Eeb. 24, 1881, I again took three ants from nest A and the 

 same number from nest B, and put them together in a small glass. 

 Then, on May 1, 1 put two ants from nest B into nest A. They 

 were soon attacked very vigorously, and dragged out of the nest. 



Thus, then, though these ants had lived amicably for some weeks 

 with companions from another nest, they were not accepted as 

 friends by the nest from which those companions were taken. 



In consequence of a suggestion made by Mr. McCook, I took 

 three specimens of Lasius nicjer and three of 'Formica fusca, and 

 put them in water for an hour. After marking tliem, I put them 

 back in the nest. The specimens of L. niger were put back at 



II A.M. They were quite amicably received, and the other ants 

 began at once to lick ofi" the paint with which they Avere marked. 

 At 11.30 one was among the rest, evidently quite at home ; the 

 other I could not distinguish ; but no ant was being attacked. 

 At 12 the one was not quite cleaned ; the other I could not 

 distinguish. I looked from thne to time during the afternoon, 

 and certainly there was no fighting in the nest. The nest morning 

 I looked carefully ; but there was no dead body, and I am satisfied 

 they Avere amicably received. 



The following morning at 7 a.m. I put in the three specimens 

 of F. fusca. They Avere also evidently received as friends ; and 

 their companions began, as in the other case, to clean off the paint. 

 At 7.30 they were quite at home among the others. 8, ditto. 9, 

 ditto. 10, ditto. There could be no doubt about their recognition. 



In my previous paper * I have recorded some experiments made 

 ^ Linn. Soc. Journ. vol. xiv. p. 610. 



