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gence of ants there is a great diversity of evidence, and it would 

 almost appear as though they were a mixture of the highest intelH- 

 gence and the most crass stupidity. Some observers have seen them 

 carry pieces of straw, and bridge over an otherwise impassable 

 gulf, and even prepare a buttress on the opposite side, tilt a straw 

 over to it, and firmly cement both ends with a mortar composed of 

 earth and saliva. Sir John Lubbock on the other hand says that 

 in all his experiments they failed to circumvent the most trifling 

 obstacles, even when they could have easily overcome them by 

 moving a few grains of earth, or shifting the position of a piece of 

 straw, or small stick. Instead of which they laboriously wandered 

 off by the most roundabout paths, while the much loved honey, or 

 larv£e, were within a few inches of their noses. It seems certain that 

 in spite of their compound eye with its 1200 facets, ants possess 

 very limited powers of vision, restricted apparently, to the perception 

 of light, by which they seem to guide their movements. Indeed, as 

 Sir John Lubbock quaintly remarks, if each of the 1200 eyes gave, 

 as with us a separate image, it would lead to very awkward results 

 both in love and war, for it would be equally embarrassing for an 

 unfortunate ant to see before him 1200 wives from whom to select, 

 or 1200 enemies to combat with. In spite of its apparent com- 

 plexity, the eye of the ant is of a very rudimentary character, and 

 the antennae play a far more important part in influencing its actions. 

 The brain of the ant is represented by a small spec or knob of 

 nervous matter, it is not of the relatively large size it is often repre- 

 sented to be, and it is essentially what may be called an "antennal" 

 brain, for the antennae represent all the special senses ; by the 

 antennae does the little insect recognize friend from foe ; whether by 

 their agency it can perceive sounds is doubtful, it certainly cannot 

 hear any sound which is audible to human ears, though it is quite 

 possible it may be conscious of sounds which are too acute for us to 

 hear. The antennae are able to discriminate different odours, and 

 are probably thus useful in selecting food. They are indeed the 

 all important organs of ant life, whether used to recognize or caress, 

 or shampoo a friend, to milk an aphid, or to cross with those of an 

 enemy before attack, as two fencers cross their foils previous to 

 engaging. The ants of Texas are said to have regular cemeteries, 

 and bury their dead in them with well marked ceremony ; indeed 

 Mr. Romanes cites instances where the black slave ants were interred 

 in separate cemeteries to their masters. Mrs. Hutton gives a most 

 interesting account of some funeral obsequies she witnessed in 

 Sydney. Having killed a number of soldier ants she returned in 

 half an hour to the spot, and saw a large number of ants surround- 

 the dead ones. Four or five started off towards a hillock a short 

 distance off in which was an ants' nest. This they entered, and in 



