QUEER LITTLE FOLKS. 135 



If they find any, they soon communicate the intelligence 

 to the army below, and a column is sent up immediately to 

 take possession of the prize. I have seen them pulling out 

 the larvae and pupse from the cells of a large wasps' nest, 

 while the wasps hovered about, powerless, before the mul- 

 titude of the invaders, to render any protection to their 

 young. 



8. "One day, when watching a small column of these 

 ants, I placed a little stone on one of them to secure it. 

 The next that approached, as soon as it discovered its situ- 

 ation, ran backward in an agitated manner, and soon com- 

 municated the intelligence to the others. They rushed to 

 the rescue : some bit at the stone and tried to move it ; 

 others seized the prisoner by the legs, and tugged with 

 such force that I thought the legs would be pulled off ; 

 but they persevered until they got the captive free. I next 

 covered one up with a piece of clay, leaving only the ends 

 of the antennas projecting. It was soon discovered by its 

 fellows, who set to work immediately, and, by biting off 

 pieces of the clay, soon liberated it. 



9. "Another time I found a very few of them passing 

 along at intervals. I confined one of these under a little 

 piece of clay, with his head projecting. Several ants passed 

 it, but at last one discovered it, and tried to pull it up, but 

 it could not. It immediately set off at a great rate, and I 

 thought it had deserted its comrade ; but it had only gone 

 for assistance, for in a short time about a dozen ants came 

 hurrying up, evidently fully informed of the circumstances 

 of the case, for they made directly for their imprisoned 

 comrade, and soon set him free. The excitement and 

 ardor with which they carried on their exertions for the 

 rescue could not have been greater if they had been human 

 beings." 



10. Of all these tribes, however, the claim for greatest 

 intelligence must be accorded to the agricultural ants of 



