SIE JOHN LUBBOCK ON ANTS, BEES, AND WASPS. 275 



■wa.fi of open texture, the meshes, however, being sufficiently large 

 to prevent the ants from escaping. They could not only, how- 

 ever, see one another, but communicate freely with their antennae. 

 We now watched to see whether the prisoners would be tended 

 or fed by their friends. We could not, however, observe that the 

 least notice was taken of them. The experiment, nevertheless, was 

 less conclusive than could be wished, because they might have fed 

 at night, or at some time when we were not looking. It struck 

 me, therefore, that it would be interesting to treat some strangers 

 also in the same manner. 



On Sept. 2, therefore, I put two ants from one of my nests of 

 F.Jiisca into a bottle, the end of which was tied up with muslin 

 as described, and laid it down close to the nest. In a second bottle 

 I put two ants from another nest of the same species. The ants 

 which were at liberty took no notice of the bottle containing their 

 imprisoned friends. The strangers in the other bottle, on the con- 

 trary , excited them considerably. The whole day one, two, or more 

 ants stood sentry, as it were, over the bottle. In the evening no 

 less than twelve were collected round it, a larger number than 

 usually came out of the nest at any one time. The whole of the 

 next two days, in the same way, there were more or less ants 

 round the bottle containing the strangers ; while, as far as we 

 could see, no notice whatever was taken of the friends. On the 

 9th the ants had eaten through the muslin, and effected an en- 

 trance. We did not chance to be on the spot at the moment; 

 but as I found two ants lying dead, one in the bottle and one just 

 outside, I think there can be no doubt that the strangers were 

 put to death. The friends throughout were quite neglected. 



Sept. 21. — I then repeated the experiment, putting three ants 

 from another nest in a bottle as before. The same scene was 

 repeated. The friends were neglected. On the other hand, some 

 of the ants were always watching over the bottle containing the 

 strangers, and biting at the muslin which protected them. The 

 next morning at 6 a.m. I found five ants thus occupied. One 

 had caught hold of the leg of one of the strangers, which had un- 

 warily been allowed to protrude through the meshes of the 

 ' muslin. Ttiey worked and watched, though not, as far as I could 

 see, with any system, till 7.30 in the evening, when they eifected 

 an entrance, and immediately attacked the strangers. 



Sept. 24. — I repeated the same experiment with the same nest. 

 Again the ants came and sat over the bottle containing the 

 strangers, while no notice was taken of the friends. 



