222 SIB JOHN ITTBBOCK ON THE HABITS OF ANTS. 



ants have of burrowing in loose fresh soil, and especially their 

 practice of digging out fresh galleries when their nests are dis- 

 turbed. 



It seemed to me, however, that it would not be difficult to test 

 whether the excavations made by ants under the circumstances 

 were the result of this general habit, or really due to a desire to 

 extricate their friends. 



With this view I tried the following experiments : — 



(1) I placed (Aug. 20) some honey near a nest of Lasius niger 

 on a glass surrounded with water, and so arranged that in reach- 

 ing it the ants passed over another glass covered with a layer of 

 sifted earth, about one third of an inch in thickness. I then put 

 some ants to the honey, and by degrees a considerable number 

 collected round it. Then at 1.30 p.m. I buried an ant from the 

 same nest under the earth, and left her there till 5 p.m., when I 

 uncovered her. She was none the worse, but during the whole 

 time not one of her friends had taken the least notice of her. 



(2) Sept. 1. I arranged some honey again in the same way. 

 At 5 P.M. about 50 ants were at the honey, and a considerable 

 number passing to and fro. I then buried an ant as before, 

 taking of course one from the same nest. At 7 p.m. the number of 

 ants at the honey had nearly doubled. At 10 p.m. they were still 

 more numerous, and had carried off about two thirds of the honey. 

 At 7 A.M. the next morning the honey was aU gone, two or three 

 were still wandering about, but no notice had been taken of the 

 prisoner, whom I then let out. In this case I allowed the honey 

 to be finished, because I tliought it might perhaps be alleged that 

 the excitement produced by such a treasure distracted their at- 

 tention, or even (on the principle of doing the greatest good to 

 the greatest number) that they were intelligently wise in securing a 

 treasure of food before they rescued their comrade, who, though in 

 confinement, was neither in pain nor danger. So far as the above 

 ants, however, are concerned, this cannot, I think, be urged. 



(3^ On the 8th Sept. I repeated the experiment, burying some 

 ants at 4 p.m. Up to 6.3 no attempt had been made to release 

 them. I let them out and buried some more. The next morning, 

 at 7 A.M., the honey was all gone, some ants were still wandering 

 about, but no notice had been taken of the captives, whom I then 

 liberated. 



(4) I then (Aug. 21) made exactly the same experiment with 

 Mi/riiiica ruffinodis, as representing the other great family of 



