78 ON THE HABITS OF ANTS. [lect. 



sanguineas, partly of F.fuscas, the results of previous 

 expeditions. They adapt themselves to circumstances, 

 assist in the ordinary household duties, and, having no 

 young of their own species, feed and attend those of the 

 F. sanguineas. But though the F. sanguineas are thus 

 aided by the F. fuscas, they have not themselves lost 

 the instinct of working. It seems not improbable that 

 there is some division of functions between the two 

 species, but we have as yet no distinct knowledge on 

 this point ; and at any rate the F. sanguineas can " do " 

 for themselves, and carry on a nest, if necessary, without 

 slaves. 



In another species, however, Polyergus rufescens 

 (which is not British), this is not the case. They 

 present a striking lesson of the degrading tendency of 

 slavery, for they have become entirely dependent on 

 their slaves. Even their bodily structure has undergone 

 a change : their mandibles have lost their teeth, and 

 have become mere nippers, deadly weapons indeed, but 

 useless except in war. They have lost the greater part 

 of their instincts : their art — that is, the power of build- 

 ing ; their domestic habits — for they take no care of their 

 own young, all this being done by the slaves ; their in- 

 dustry — they take no part in providing the daily sup- 

 plies ; if the colony changes the situation of its nest, the 

 masters are all carried by the slaves to the new one ; 

 nay, they have even lost the habit of feeding. Huber 

 placed thirty of them with some larvse and pupae and a 

 supply of honey in a box. 



" At first," he says, " they appeared to pay some little attention to 

 the larvae ; they carried them here and there, but presently replaced 

 them. More than one-half of the Amazons died of hunger in less 



