EVIDENCE OF COMMUNICATION. 17d 



is calculated to increase the number of friends brought 

 by the ants to the glass with only 2 or 3 larvae, for 

 several reasons, but especially because in many cases 

 an ant which had for some time had access to a glass 

 with many larvse was suddenly deprived of it, and it 

 might well be that some time elapsed before the 

 change was discovered. Some stray ants would, no 

 doubt, in any case have found the larvce ; and we 

 may probably allow for about 25 under this head. 

 Again, some would, no doubt, casually accompany their 

 friends ; if we allow 25 also in this respect, we must 

 deduct 50 from each side, and we shall have 254 

 against 54. Nevertheless, even without any allowances, 

 the results seem to me very definite. Some of the 

 individual cases, especially perhaps experiments 9, 10, 

 20, 21, and 22 (see Appendix), are very striking ; and, 

 taken as a whole, during 52 hours, the ants which had 

 access to a glass containing numerous larvse brought 304 

 friends ; while during 59 hours those which were visiting 

 a glass with only 2 or 3 larvse brought only 104 to 

 their assistance. 



One case of apparent communication struck me 

 very much. I had had an ant {L. niger) under obser- 

 vation one day, during which she was occupied in 

 carrying ofif larvse to her nest. At night I imprisoned 

 her in a small bottle ; in the morning I let her out at 

 6.15, when she immediately resumed her occupation. 

 Having to go to London, I imprisoned her again at 

 9 o'clock. When I returned at 4.40, 1 put her again 



