ANTS AND ANT LIFE. 131 



their scent soon discovered the honey, although they could 

 not see it, nor climb over the wall. They tunnelled through 

 the gypsum, which Forel vainly repaired, and stole the 

 honey until the wall was made so strong that they could not 

 get through it. Only a single ant got through, in what way 

 is unknown, and so crammed itself with honey that it could 

 not return. Forel found it the next morning leaning against 

 the inner side of the wall, and unable either to make a 

 tunnel through or to climb over. Thus we have an ant so 

 lacking in the " instinct " of feeding itself that it was unable 

 to conquer its greediness ! Jars containing jams or sweet- 

 meats, placed in water, are regularly blocked up with 

 swarms of ants, which have scented the sweetness and in 

 vain seek ways and means of penetrating to it. 



As to the searching for or finding again a road once 

 passed over by them, this is all the easier to them, owing to 

 the fairly strong scent which they are known to leave 

 behind them. 



In that which concerns the second part, the power of 

 communication, or language, the very sensitive antenna? play 

 the chief part, being well supplied with nerves. Two ants, 

 which are communicating with, or speaking to each other, 

 stand face to face, and mutually tap each other in the 

 most rapid manner with their peculiarly motile feelers, 

 striking each other's heads, and so on. That they are thus 

 able to impart quite detailed information, and as to distinct 

 things, is proved by countless examples, some of which have 

 already been mentioned. Jesse writes : " I have often put 

 a small green caterpillar near an ant's nest; you may see it 

 immediately seized by one of the ants, who after several 

 ineffectual efforts to drag it to its nest, will quit it, go up to 

 another ant, and they will appear to hold a conversation 

 together by means of their antennas, after which they will 

 return together to the caterpillar, and, by their united efforts, 

 drag it where they wish to deposit it. I have also frequently 

 observed two ants meeting on their path across a gravel- 

 walk, one going from and the other returning to the nest. 

 They will stop, touch each other's antennae, and appear to 

 hold a conversation ; and I could almost fancy that one was 

 communicating to the other the best place for foraging " 

 (" Gleanings," vol. 1. pp. 18, 19, ed. 1838). 



In a letter to Charles Darwin, Hague (quoted by Landois, 



