ANTS AND ANT LIFE 163 



several seconds, and then bring it back with great trouble 

 to dry it in the sun, and perhaps to let it recover its strength. 

 These cases are the more surprising, as ants usually are 

 wont to desert those which are very sick, or to "throw them 

 out of the nest, as is seen by Ebrard's experiments. 



It was of the pratensis that Huber wrote the observations 

 touching its gymnastic sports which became so famous. He 

 saw these ants on a fine day assembled on the surface of their 

 nest and behaving in a way that he could only explain as 

 simulating festival sports or other games. They raised 

 themselves on their hind legs, embraced each other with 

 their forelegs, seized each other by the antennae, feet, or 

 mandibles and wrestled but all in friendliest fashion. They 

 then let go, ran after each other, and played hide and seek. 

 When one was victorious, it seized all the others in the ring, 

 and tumbled them over like ninepins. 



This account of Huber's found its way into many popular 

 books, but in spite of its clearness won little credence from 

 the reading public. "I found it hard to believe Huber's 

 observation," writes Forel, " in spite of its exactness, until I 

 myself had seen the same." A colony of the pratensis 

 several times gave him the opportunity, when he approached 

 it carefully. The players caught each other by the feet or 

 jaws, rolled over each other on the ground like boys playing, 

 pulled each other inside the entrances of their nest only to 

 come out again and so on. All this was done without bad 

 temper, or any spirting of poison, and it was clear that all 

 the rivalry was friendly. The least breath from the side of 

 the observer was enough to put an end to the games. "I 

 understand," continues Forel, " that the affair must seem 

 marvellous to those who have not seen it, especially when 

 we remember that sexual attraction can here play no part." 



