SIR JOHN LUBBOCK ON ANTS, BEES, AND WASPS. 



131 



At the beginning of August I brought in a nest of Lasius 

 niger containing a large number of pupae. Some of these I placed 

 by themselves in charge of three ants belonging to the same 

 species, and taken from a nest which I have had under observa- 

 tion for rather more than 10 years. On the 28th August, I took 

 12 of the young ants, which in the meantime had emerged from 

 the separated pupae, selecting some which had all but acquired 

 their full colour. Four of them I replaced in their old nest, and 

 four in that from which their nurses were taken. 



At 4.30. In their own nest none were attacked. 



In their nurses' nest one was attacked. 

 5. In their own nest none were attacked. 



Iq their nurses' nest all four were attacked. 

 8. In their own nest none were attacked. 



In their nurses' neat three were attacked. 

 The next day I took six more and marked them witli a spot 

 of paint as usual, and at 7.30 replaced them in their own nest. 

 At 8 I found 5 quite at home. The others I could not see, 



but none were attacked. 

 8.30 „ 5 „ „ „ 



9 11 ^ 11 11 )} 



10 „ 4 



1 1 5 



12 „ 3 



1 11 11 j> j» 



4 „ 4 „ 



7 1 



' 11 11 ?) }> 



9 j» 2 ,, ,, 



The next morning I could only see two, but none were being 

 attacked and there were no dead ones. It is probable that the 

 paint had been cleaned off the others, but it was not easy to find 

 them all among so many. At any rate none w^ere being attacked 

 nor had any been killed. 



These observations, therefore, quite confirm those previously 

 made, and seem to show that if pupae are taken from a nest, kept 

 till they become perfect insects, and then replaced in the nest, 

 they are recognized as friends. 



When we consider the immense number of ants ia a nest, 

 amounting in some cases to over 500,000, it is a most remarkable 

 fact that they all know one another. If a stranger, even be- 



