2li0 INSTINCT. Chap. VII. 



Museum, to whom I am much indebted for information 

 on this and other subjects. Although fully trusting to 

 the statements of Huber and Mr. Smith, I tried to 

 approach the subject in a sceptical frame of mind, as 

 any one may well be excused for doubting the truth of 

 so extraordinary and odious an instinct as that of 

 making slaves. Hence I will give the observations which 

 I have myself made, in some little detail. I opened 

 fourteen nests of F. sanguinea, and found a few slaves in 

 all. Males and fertile females of the slave-species are 

 found only in their own proper communities, and have 

 never been observed in the nests of F. sanguinea. The 

 slaves are black and not above half the size of their red 

 masters, so that the contrast in their appearance is very 

 great. When the nest is slightly disturbed, the slaves 

 occasionally come out, and like their masters are much 

 agitated and defend the nest : when the nest is much 

 disturbed and the larvse and pupae are exposed, the 

 slaves work energetically with their masters in carrying 

 them away to a place of safety. Hence, it is clear, 

 that the slaves feel quite at home. During the months 

 of June and July, on three successive years, I have 

 watched for many hours several nests in Surrey and 

 Sussex, and never saw a slave either leave or enter 

 a nest. As, during these months, the slaves are very 

 few in number, I thought that they might behave differ- 

 ently when more numerous ; but Mr. Smith informs me 

 that he has watched the nests at various hours during 

 May, June and August, both in Surrey and Hampshire, 

 and has never seen the slaves, though present in large 

 numbers in August, either leave or enter the nest. 

 Hence he considers them as strictly household slaves. 

 The masters, on the other hand, may be constantly 

 seen bringing in materials for the nest, and food of all 

 kinds. During the present year, however, in the month 



