NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. 
237 
The Humanitarian League and Sport.— With reference to the remark 
made by your contributor, “ O. V\ Aplin,” in Nature Notes for September, 
that “if the members of the so-called Humanitarian League would sometimes 
read a book on Sporting, and try to know a little about what they talk of so glibly, 
they would find that sportsmen are not all uselessly cruel,” permit me to say that 
we have never made any such absurd statement as that sportsmen are “ all use- 
lessly cruel.” We have never denied that sportsmen ate in many cases kind- 
hearted men ; what we contend is that the practice is a cruel one, and would not be 
indulged in by humane persons if they seriously thought about it. That “ O. V. 
Aplin ” shoukl recommend writeis like Colonel Coulson, Lady Florence Dixie, 
and the Rev. J. Stratton, who are familiar with every detail of the sports discu.ssed 
by them, to “.sometinies read a book on sporting,” is a bit of unintended humour, 
for which I thank him. 
Henry S. Sai.t. 
79A, Great Queen Street, IV.C. Hon. Sec. Humanitarian League. 
NATURAL HISTORY NOTES AND QUERIES. 
Ants. — My garden paths are paved with asphalte, or rather tarred gravel, and 
by dint of wear and tear and weather, have become cracked and seamed in various 
jilaces, thus affording a dry retreat for the ants, which have developed in great 
numbers the past few years, until we are overrun with them. On Sunday after- 
noon, August 24 last, my attention was drawn to an extraordinary settlement 
of large winged ants. The lawn was covered with them, the paths — more 
especially in the neighbourhood of the then dry drains — were alive with them 
and the issuing streams of the common working ant, all in a state of the greatest 
turmoil and activity. The incident would not perhaps have been deemed worth 
record had it not been that a few day since I came across the following passage 
in White’s Selborne, the accuracy of which, almost to the day, is corroborated : — 
“ August 23, 1771. — Every anthill about this time is in a strange hurry and 
confusion ; and all the winged ants, agitated by some violent impulse, are leaving 
their homes, and, bent on emigration, swarm by myriads in the air, to the great 
emolument of the Hirundines, which fare luxuriously. Those that escape the 
swallows return no more to their nests, but, looking out for fresh settlements, lay 
a foundation for future colonies. All the females at this time are pregnant ; the 
males that escape being eaten wander away and die.” 
“ October 2. — Flying ants, male and female, usually swarm and migrate on 
hot sunny days in August and September, but this day a vast emigration took 
place in my garden, and myriads came forth, in appearance, from the drain 
which goes under the fruit wall ; filling the air and the adjoining trees and shrubs 
with their numbers. The females were full of eggs. This late swarming is 
probably due to the backward, wet season. The day following, not one flying 
ant was to be seen. ” 
I had imagined that the attraction for the descent of these winged ants in 
such numbers was the swarming colonies of the common working ants on my 
ground — in fact that it was an organised “Rape of the Formicre.” Else why 
was this simultaneous commotion between the two sorts? What relation exists 
between the workers and the winged ants ? Can any of your contributors or 
readers enlighten me ? 
Thornton Heath. J. A. James. 
A Spider’s Web. — Can any of your readers tell me if the following is an 
unusual occurrence ? Early in September some friends of mine saw a garden 
spider (one with white marks on its back) make a web large enough to cover one 
pane of the dining-room window. It was a beautiful spider, and they watched 
It with interest during the day, but before dark they saw the spider swallow the 
whole of its web ; taking a piece first from one side and then the other, the whole 
was devoured in five minutes; the spider departed and was not seen again. I 
have looked at two or three books, but find nothing of the kind mentioned. 
K. L. 
