274 SIR JOHN LIIBBOCK OH" ANTS, BEES, AND WASPS. 



fed, six small pillars of wood, about li inch high, and on one of 

 them I put some honey. A number of ants were wandering 

 about on the board itself in search of food, and the nest itself was 

 immediately above and about 12 inches from the board. I then 

 put three ants to the honey, and when each had sufficiently fed, I 

 imprisoned her, and put another; thus always keeping three ants 

 at the honey, but not allowing them to go home. If, then, they 

 could summon their friends by sound, there ought soon to be 

 many ants at the honey. The results were as follows : — 



Sept. 8. Began at 11 a.m. Up to 3 o'clock only seven ants 

 found their way to the honey, while about as many ran up the 

 other pillars. The arrival of these seven, therefore, was not more 

 than would naturally result from the numbers running about 

 close by. At 3 we allowed the anta then on the honey to return 

 home. The result was that from 3.6, when the first went home, 

 to 3.30, 11 came, from 3.30 to 4 no less than 43. Thus in four hours 

 only 7 came ; while it is obvious that many would have wished to 

 come if they had known about the honey, because in the next three 

 quarters of an hour, when they were informed of it, 54 came. 



On the 10th Sept. we tried the same again, keeping as before 

 three ants on the honey, but not allowing any to go home. 

 Prom 12 to 5.30 only eight came. They were then allowed to 

 take the news. From 5.30 to 6, 4 came ; from 6 to 6.30, 4 ; 

 from 6.30 to 7, 8 ; from 7.80 to 8 no less than 51. 



On the 23rd Sept. we did the same again, beginning at 11.15. 

 Up to 8.45 nine came. They were then allowed to go home. 

 From 4 to 4.80, 9 came ; from 4.30 to 5, 15 ; from 5 to 5.30, 

 19 ; from 5.30 to 6, 38. Thus in 8^ hours 9 came ; in 2, 

 when the ants were permitted to return, 81. 



Again, on Sept. 30, 1 tried the same arrangement again, begin- 

 ning at 11. Up to 3.30 seven ants came. We then let them go. 

 From 3.30 to 4.30, 28 came ; from 4.30 to 5, 51 came. Thus 

 in four hours and a half only 7 came ; while when they were 

 allowed to return, no less than 79 came in an hour and a half. 



It seems obvious, therefore, that in these cases no communica- 

 tion was transmitted by sound. 



Experiments testing Affection. 

 To test the afi'ection of ants belonging to the same nest for one 

 another, I tried the following experiments. I took six ants from 

 a nest of Formica fusca, imprisoned them in a small bottle, one 

 end of which was left open, but covered by a layer of muslin. I 

 then put the bottle close to the door of the nest. The muslin 



