EXPERIMENT WITH AN ATTA. 179 
again to the nest. Meeting one of her friends on the 
way she conversed with her a little, then continued 
towards the nest, but, after going about a foot, changed 
her mind, and returned with her friend to the fly. 
After some minutes, during which two or three other 
ants came up, one of them detached a leg, which she 
carried off to the nest, coming out again almost immedi- 
ately with six friends, one of whom, curiously enough, 
seemed to lead the way, tracing it, I presume, by scent. 
T then removed the pin, and they carried off the fly in 
triumph. 
Again, on June 15, 1878, another ant belonging to 
the same nest had found a dead spider, about the same 
distance from the nest. I pinned down the spider as 
before. The ant did all in her power to move it; but 
after trying for twelve minutes, she went off to the nest. 
Although for a quarter of an hour no other ant had left 
the nest, yet in a few seconds she came out again with 
10 companions. As in the preceding case, they followed 
very leisurely. She ran on ahead and worked at the 
spider for ten minutes; when, as none of her friends 
had arrived to her assistance, though they were wan- 
dering about, evidently in search of something, she 
started back home again. In three quarters of a 
minute after entering the nest she reappeared, this 
time with 15 friends, who came on somewhat more 
rapidly than the preceding batch, though still but 
slowly. By degrees, however, they all came up, and 
after most persevering efforts carried off the spider 
