ANTS AND ANT LIFE. 61 



amount of commotion is seen on the surface of the nest. 

 One of the fertile females begins to flutter her wings and to 

 rise in the air : a second follows ; the males do the same in 

 order to follow their wives. The watching workers who, 

 having no wings, are unable to follow, become much 

 agitated ; at last the interesting scene closes with the flight 

 of the whole swarm into the air, as a thick cloud, rising to 

 a considerable height. 



For the flight is chosen a fine, bright summer day, as 

 when a storm has taken place the day before and there is no 

 other to be feared ; and since such a day is not only chosen 

 by one but by many colonies in the same neighborhood, 

 there are often swarms so large and so extended that they 

 darken the air, and are mistaken for clouds of smoke arising 

 from a distant fire. These swarms dance gaily up and down 

 in the air for hours, generally circling round some high 

 place, such as a church tower, the top of a tall tree, a hill 

 etc., and the fertilisation of the females by the males is 

 effected during the flight. 



Zoologists have not yet quite, ascertained if the merry 

 bridal folk during their happy journey sing the well-known 

 song : 



"Das fliichtige Leben eilt schneller dahin, 

 Als Riider am Wagen, 

 Wer weisz, ob ich morgen am Leben noch bin ? " 



But in any case such a song would be eminently suitable 

 to the occasion, for a sad end soon comes to the brief 

 happiness. When the wedding parties return to earth after 

 a few hours' flight, the poor husbands perish in shameful 

 wise, for they are unable to feed themselves, and either die 

 from hunger or fall a prey to pursuing birds and spiders. 

 Many also are killed by hostile ants. The workers or 

 neuter-ants of their own colony have lost all interest in them 

 from the moment of their return, and trouble themselves no 

 more about them, for they well know that the males have 

 now fulfilled their vocation, and that their prolonged exis- 

 tence as useless consumers would only be a burden. A very 

 egoistical, but also a very republican, or rather socialistic 

 proceeding. For " He who will not work, neither shall he 

 eat." We shall see later that this beautiful precept is yet 

 more severely and cruelly obeyed among bees. 



The greater part of the remaining females have no happier 



