SIE J. LUBBOCK ON ANTS, BEES, AND WASPS. 169 



any of her friends by the way. Again she emerged in less than 

 a minute with eight friends, and hurried on to the fly. They 

 were even less energetic than the first party ; and when they 

 found they had lost sight of their guide, they one and all returned 

 to the nest. In the meantime several of the first detachment 

 had found the fly, and one of them succeeded in detaching a leg 

 with which she returned in triumph to the nest, coming out again 

 directly with four or five companions. These latter, with one 

 exception, soon gave up the chase and returned to the nest. I do 

 not think so much of this last case, because as the ant carried in 

 a substantial piece of booty in the shape of the fly's leg, it is not 

 surprising that her friends should some of them accompany her 

 on her return; but surely the other two cases indicate a distinct 

 power of communication. 



Lest, however, it should be supposed that the result was acci* 

 dental, I determined to try it again. Accordingly on the follow^ 

 ing day I put another large dead fly before an ant belonging to 

 the same nest, pinning it to a piece of cork as before. After 

 trying in vain for ten minutes to move the fly, my ant started 

 off home. At that time I could only see two other ants of that 

 species outside the nest. Yet in a few seconds, considerably less 

 than a minute, she emerged with no less than twelve friends. As 

 in the previous case, she ran on ahead, and they followed very 

 slowly and by no means directly, taking, in fact, nearly half 

 an hour to reach the fly. The first ant, after vainly labouring for 

 about a quarter of an hour to move the fly, started off again to the 

 nest. Meeting one of her friends on the way she talked 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 immediately with six friends, one of whom, 

 curiously enough, seemed to lead the way, tracing it, I presume^ 

 by scent. I then removed the pin, and they carried off the fly in 

 triumph. 



Again, on the 15th June, 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. For a quarter of an hour no other ant had come 

 out, but in some seconds she came out again with ten companions* 



LINN. JOT7EN. — ZOOLOGY, VOL. XY. 13 



