SIB J. LUBBOCK ON ANTS, BEES, AND WASPS. 381 



result surprised me considerably ; but I think the explanation is 

 given by the following experiments. 



I again put some larvae in a cup, which I placed in the centre 

 of the table ; and I let out an ant which I had imprisoned after 

 the previous experiments, placing her in the cup ; she carried off a 

 larva to the nest and soon returned. "When she was again in the 

 cup, I rotated the table ; when she came out she seemed a little 

 surprised ; but after walkiug once round the cup, started off along 

 the paper bridge straight home. "When she returned to the cup, 

 I again half rotated the table. This time she went back quite 

 straight. "When she had come again, I once more half rotated 

 the table; she returned quite straight. Again the same hap- 

 pened. A second ant then came : I half rotated the table as 

 before. She went wrong for about an inch and a half, but then 

 turned round and went straight home. 



I was working by the light of two candles which were on the 

 nest-side of the table. The next time the two ants came, I half 

 rotated the table as before and moved the candles to the far side. 

 This time the ants were deceived, and followed the paper bridge 

 to the end of the table furthest from the nest. This I repeated 

 a second time, with the same result. I then turned the table as 

 before without altering the lights, and the ants (four of them) 

 went back all right. I then again turned the table, altering the 

 lights, and the ant went wrong. 



I then altered the lights without rotating the table : the first 

 ant went wrong ; the second right ; the third wrong ; the fourth 

 wrong ; the fifth hesitated some seconds, and then went wrong ; 

 the sixth right ; the seventh went all but to the edge the wrong 

 way, but, after various wanderings, at last went right. When, 

 therefore, the direction of the light was changed, but every 

 thing else left as before, out of seven ants, five were deceived and 

 went in the wrong direction. 



After an interval of a week, on March 25, 1 arranged the nest 

 and the rotating table as before, and let out three ants which I 

 I had imprisoned on the 19th, and which knew their way. t put 

 them on the larvae at M as before. The paper pathway had 

 been left untouched. The ants examined the larvae and then 

 went straight home along the paper path ; but, to my surprise, 

 only one of them carried off a larva. Nevertheless they had evi- 

 dently taken the news to the nest ; for the ants at once began 

 coming to the cup in considerable numbers and carrying off the 



LINN. JOUBN. — ZOOLOGY, VOL. XV. 30 



