58 



On the Habits of Ants. 



when the first went home, to 3.30, eleven came; from 3.30 

 to 4j no less than forty-three. Thus in four hours only 

 seven came, while it was obvious that many would have 

 wished to come if they had known about the honey, because 

 in the next three-quarters-of-an-hour, when they were in- 

 formed of itj fifty-four came. 

 On the 10th September we tried the same again, keeping as before 

 three ants on the honey, but not allowing any to go home. 

 From 12 to 5.30, only eight came. They were then allowed 

 to take the news. From 5.30 to 6, four came; from 6 to 

 6.30, four; from 6.30 to 7, eight; from 7.30 to 8, no less 

 than fifty-one. 



On the 23rd September we did the same again, beginning at 11.15. 

 Up to 3. 4:5 nine came. They were then allowed to go home. 

 From 4 to 4.30 nine came; from 4.30 to 5, fifteen; from 5 

 to 5.30, nineteen ; from 5.30 to 6, thirty-eight. Thus in 

 three-and-a-half hours nine came; in two, when the ants were 

 permitted to return, eighty- one. 

 Again, on September 30th I tried the same arrangement, again be- 

 ginning at 11. Up to 3.30 seven ants came. We then let 

 them go. From 3,30 to 4.30 twenty-eight came. From 

 4.30 to 5, fifty-one came. Thus in four hours and a-half 

 only seven came ; while when they were allowed to return 

 no less than seventy-nine came in an hour and a-half. It 

 seems obvious therefore that in these cases no communication 

 was transmitted by sound. 

 To test the affections of ants, belonging to the same nest, for one 

 another, I tried the following experiments. I took six ants from a 

 nest of Formica fusca, imprisoned them in a small bottle, one end of 

 which was left open, but covered by a layer of muslin. I then put 

 the bottle close to the door of the nest. The muslin was of open 

 texture, the meshes however sufficiently large to prevent the ants 

 from escaping. They could not only see one another, but com- 

 municate freely with their antennae. We now watched to see 

 whether the prisoners would be tended or fed by their friends, but we 

 could not see that the least notice was taken of them. The experiment 



