SIR JOHN LUBBOCK ON ANTS, BEES, AND WASPS. 493 



own observations, that ants would recognize one another after a 

 separation of some months. The observation recorded by Huber 

 was made casually ; and he does not seem to have taken any steps 

 to test it by subsequent experiments. The fact is one, however, 

 of so much interest that it seemed to me desirable to make further 

 experiments on the subject. On the 4th of August I separated 

 one of my nest of F.fusca into two halves, which I kept entirely 

 apart from one another. 



Four days afterwards (August 8th) I put an ant from a different 

 nest into one of these at 8 a.m. She was at once attacked ; two 

 hung on to her till about 11, when they left her. Before evening 

 she seemed to have fraternized with them. 



Aug. 13. I put another stranger into one of these nests at 9 

 A.M. A.i 10.30 one of the ants was dragging her about by an 

 antenna ; at 1 she was free ; and at 2 I found her among the 

 rest, apparently received as a friend. Two days afterwards she 

 was still well. 



Aug. 16. I took one of the ants which I had removed from the 

 others on the 4th and replaced her with her old companions. They 

 seemed to take no notice of her, and certainly did not attack her. 

 Aug. 20. I put in a stranger at 7.30. At 7.45 one of them had 

 hold of her by the mandibles ; at 9.30 one was hanging on to her 

 hind leg ; at 10.45 she was free ; and I did not see them attack 

 her any more. 



Aug. 22. At 7.30 put in a stranger and one of their former 

 companions. One of the ants attacked the former ; they took no 

 notice of the latter so far as I could see. At 10.45 they both 

 seemed at home. This stranger I saw repeatedly afterwards, and 

 she had evidently been received completely into the community. 



Sept. 3. At 7 A.M. I put a stranger in and also one of their old 

 companions. Neither of them was attacked. 



Sept. 17. Put in three strangers; but they were not attacked. 

 Oct. 3. I put in another stranger ; but they did not seem to 

 mind her. 



As, therefore, in some cases these ants did not appear disposed 

 to attack strangers, I tried similar experiments with a nest of 

 Myrmica ruginodis. 



On the 20 August I divided a colony of this species, so that 

 one half were in one nest (No. 9) and the other half in another 

 (No. 15), and kept them entirely apart. 



On the 3rd Oct. I put into nest 15 a stranger and an old com- 



