612 siE JOHN ltjeboce: on ants, bees, and wasps. 



the 1st October at 7.45 I put her into the nest. She seemed 

 quite at home, and the others soon began to clean her. Vie 

 watched her from time to time, and she was not attacked ; but, 

 the colour being removed, we could not recognize her after 9.30. 



On the 14th July last year (1878) I put into a small glass some 

 pupae from another nest of Formica fusca with two friends. 



On the 11th August I put four of the young ants which had 

 emerged from these pupce into the nest. After the interTal of 

 an hour, I looked for them in vain. The door of the nest was 

 closed with cotton-wool; so that they could not have come 

 out ; and if any were being attacked, I think we must have seen 

 it. I believe, therefore, that in the meantime they had been 

 cleaned. Still, as we did not actually watch them, I was not 

 satisfied. I put in, therefore, two more at 5 p.m. At 5.30 they 

 were all right ; at 5.45, ditto, but one was almost cleaned. 

 At 6 one was all right; the other was no longer recognizable, 

 having been quite cleaned. At 6.30 also one was quite at home ; 

 the other could not be distinguished. At 7 both had been com- 

 pletely cleaned. 



The following day I marked another, and put her in at 6 a.m. 

 At 6.15 she was all right among the others, and also at 6.30, 7, 

 7.30, 8, and 9.30, after which I could no longer distinguish her. 



Again, on the following day I put in another at 6.45 a.m. At 

 7 she was quite at home, and also at 7.15, 7.30, 8, and to 9.30, 

 after which I did not watch her. 



To test the mode in which the ants of this nest would behave to 

 a stranger, I then, though feeling no doubt as to the result, intro- 

 duced one. The difference was very striking. The stranger was 

 a powerful ant ; still she was evidently uncomfortable, started 

 away from every ant she met, and ran nervously about, trying to 

 get out of the nest. She was, however, soon attacked. 



Again, on the 1st October some pupae ofLasius niger were placed 

 in a glass with five ants from the same nest. 



On the 8th December I took three of the ants which had emerged 

 from these pupae, and at midday put them back into their old nest, 

 having marked them by nicking the hind leg. Of course, under 

 these circumstances we would not watch the ants. I examined 

 the nest, however, every half hour very carefully, and am satisfied 

 that there Avas no fighting. The next morning there was no dead 

 ant ; nor was there a death in the nest for more than a fortnight. 



December 21. Marked three more m the same rtitmner, and 



