THE HONEY ANT. 47 
aided, on and after the 22nd, by another, No. 11. This 
seems to me very curious. From November 1 to 
January 5, with two or three casual exceptions, the 
whole of the supplies were carried in by three ants, 
one of whom, however, did comparatively little. The 
other two were imprisoned, and then, but not till then, 
afresh ant appears on the scene. She carried in the 
food for a week; and then, she being imprisoned, two 
others undertook the task. On the other hand, in 
Nest 1, where the first foragers were not imprisoned, 
they continued during the whole time to carry in the 
necessary supplies. 
The facts therefore certainly seem to indicate that 
certain ants are told off as foragers, and that during 
winter, when little food is required, two or three are 
sufficient to provide it. 
I have, indeed, no reason to suppose that in our 
English ants any particular individuals are specially 
adapted to serve as receptacles of food. M. Wesmael, 
however, has described! a remarkable genus (Myrmeco- 
cystus mexicanus), brought by M. de Normann from 
Mexico, in which certain individuals in each nest serve 
as animated honey-pots. To them the foragers bring 
their supplies, and their whole duty seemsto be to receive 
the honey, retain it, and redistribute it when required. 
Their abdomen becomes enormously distended, the in- 
tersegmental membranes being so much extended that 
1 Bull. de VAcad des Sci. de Bruxelles, vol. v. p. 71. 
