58 



the queen ant, and all work harmoniously together for the general good. The fact, how- 

 ever, that their food is provided for them, releases them from a task which must take up 



^ i 



Fig. 20. 

 Formica fusca, Canadian and European species, female, worker and male. (FromWestwood.) 



a great part of the time and labour of a community living in a free condition. With a 

 supply of honey at their very door, it is not necessary to hunt over the whole neighbour- 

 hood for something to eat, which, when found, would perhaps be no better than the 

 " dried grasshopper's leg," immortalized by Mark Twain in his " Tramp Abroad. " But 

 this gives them more time for their other duties — building, excavating, and "cleaning 

 up," and also for that most important work, the care of the "rising generation," in the 

 shape of the eggs, larva? and pupte belonging to the nest. ' The eggs hatch in from two to 

 six weeks after being laid by the queen ant, and produce small Avhite legless grubs, some- 

 what conical in form, being narrow towards the head. "They are carefully tended and 

 fed, being carried about from chamber to chamber by the workers, probably in order to 

 secure the most suitable amount of warmth and moisture. I have observed, also, that 

 they are very often assorted according to age. It is sometimes very curious in my nests 

 to see them arranged in groups according to size, so that they remind one of a school 

 divided into live or six classes." In this stage they live for several weeks, and grow 

 rapidly. When full grown they turn into pupae, sometimes naked, sometimes covered 

 wi r h a silken cocoon, constituting the so-called "ant-eggs." After remaining some days 

 in this state, they emerge as perfect insects. In many cases, however, they would perish 

 in the attempt, if they were not assisted ; and it is very pretty to see the older ants 



rig them to extricate themselves, carefully unfolding their legs and smoothing out 

 the wings with truly feminine tenderness and delicacy. The very young ants do not at 

 firsl take any share in the defence ot the nest or other out-of-door work, but help in the 

 care of the larvae and pupae, until their skin has hardened. Then they take part in the 

 general labours of the society. How far, however, the "division of labour" system is 

 carried, has not yet been ascertained. But there are good reasons for thinking that it is 

 followed out to some extent, as several of Sir John Lubbock's observations point in this 

 direction. One of these was as follows : 



"In summer the ants moved freely about the stand, and each one fed itself, but when 

 the weather became cold and gloomy, and the ants required but little food, they remained 

 indoors, and deputed to certain individuals the duty of procuring supplies for the whole 

 community. During the winter, two nests of different species were kept under constant 

 observation, and the foragers were marked, so that they could be identified. One of the 

 immunity of F. fusca, and fa was found that the whole supply of food 

 for this nest was carried in by the same four or five ants for a period of several weeks. 

 The other nest was of Poh a slave-holding species. In this ease the. 



mistresses Lever came out for food, leaving the work to three slaves, who carried it into 

 the nest daily for the two months during which the observations continued." 



The inmates of a nest are bound together by ties of friendship, and have a strong 

 feeling of attachment to their own community. Hence some species — like the old High- 

 land clans — regard other nests, even of their own species, as enemies, and will not allow 

 a -ringer ant bo remain among them. Other species, however, are not quite so exclusive. 

 The inhabitants of a nest all recognise one another : a wonderful fajt, when we consider 

 th" number of individuals in some of their settlements. In the larger societies of Formica 



