338 SPECIAL INSTINCTS. [Chap. VIIL 



existence of so extraordinary an instinct as that of mak- 

 ing slaves. Hence, I will give the observations which I 

 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 (F. fusca) 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 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 larvae and pupae are exposed, the slaves work ener- 

 getically together 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 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 differently when more numer- 

 ous; 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 year 1860, 

 however, in the month of July, I came across a com- 

 munity with an unusually large stock of slaves, and I 

 observed a few slaves mingled with their masters leaving 

 the nest, and marching along the same road to a tall 



