121 
ANTS AND APHIDES. 
[Nature and Art, April 1, 1867. 
the larvae make their appearance as little whitish, semi- 
transparent, ovoid worms. They possess a head and body, 
the latter being- divided into a number of rings or segments 
which are unprovided with feet. Their mouth is a sort of 
retractile proboscis, in which we may see the rudiments of 
the future mandibles, but at this period of their existence it 
is only employed for sucking. They feed upon the peculiar 
honey-like fluid provided for them by the workers, who pre- 
pare it in their stomachs, and then disgorge it for the 
nourishment of the young. The most sedulous attention is 
paid by the worker-nurses to the larvae, the latter, as we have 
already stated, being constantly removed from their under- 
ground chambers to the outer ‘surface of the ant-hill, where 
they receive the genial influence of the sun, and thus further 
their metamorphosis. The nurses, too, advance this pheno- 
menon by gently irritating, rubbing, and distending the skin 
of the larva with their palpi. Soon this metamorphosis takes 
place. The little larva spins its temporary greyish-yellow 
silken coffin, and becomes a nymph, or pupa. Gradually 
beneath the veil under which Nature conceals her mysterious 
operations, the larva is transformed into a nearly perfect 
ant, the proboscis disappears, and is replaced by a set of 
horny jaws, the skin changes its colour, assumes a 
reddish-brown tint, powerful and strangely organized limbs 
are formed, and the head and its appendages increase in com- 
plexity of structure. These singular changes all take place, 
and yet the creature remains motionless and death-like, and 
when the metamorphosis is complete, the nurses once more 
commence their labours. They now tear away the curtain 
and disclose the perfect insect or imago, as it is scientifically 
termed. Nor do they cease their tender exertions. They 
still continue to watch over the welfare of the new-born, 
till they are able to take their own place in their little sphere 
of existence. 
On the subject of the habits of the ant, M. Figuier 
is very eloquent ; and, although he is in most instances 
supported in his statements by higher authorities, he oc- 
casionally treats us to tales which the light of experience 
and of scientific observation has shown to be fallacious. 
Still he is always interesting, and generally instructive. 
Speaking of the dealings of the ants with each other, ho gives 
them credit for the practice of a higher philosophy than that 
which guides mere human actions. If, he says, an ant is 
fatigued, a comrade takes him upon his shoulders. Those 
whose thoughts are too busy with their labours to induce 
them to search for food, are carefully fed by those who are 
loss occupied. When an ant has received an injury, the first 
of his fellows that meets him takes him in charge like a 
good Samaritan, and conveys him to his home. When he 
discovers a rich mine of food, he does not selfishly keep the 
information to himself, he tells his companions, and forthwith 
all join in the festivity. If one of these insects is hungry 
and cannot procure food, his neighbour, like the Homan 
daughter of old, feeds him from his own substance — dis- 
gorges a drop of saccharine fluid which his hungry companion 
quickly devours. It appears that in all these cases the 
feelings and ideas (if we may use the expression) of the ants 
are conveyed to each other through the antenn®, which by 
rubbing against each other seem to give expression to their 
sensations. Finally, to conclude this portion of our subject, 
we may state that the age of the ant is unknown, but there 
appears to be no doubt that it may live for several years. 
Its food is chiefly fresh and decayed fruits, flowers yielding 
honey, &c. ; but the ant will eat dead animal matter, and 
will even attack other insects and devour them. 
Apropos of the food on which the ants subsist, is the 
second division of our article, that which refers to the 
Aphides, or plant-lice, as they are generally styled. The 
ants and aphides are in no way related in the sense of 
affinity ; the former are mandibulate or chewing insects, 
whilst the latter are haustellate or suctorial. But there is 
nevertheless a very intimate relationship — that of captor 
to slave — existing between them. Still the relationship is 
a friendly one. There seems to be no example of harsh 
treatment on the part of the masters, and the serfs ap- 
pear to be tolerably contented with the lot that has fallen 
to them. There are, we imagine, few of our readers who 
have not seen the aphis, and yet we dare say very few 
remember what the insect is like, and still fewer know 
aught of his history. If any one who plucks a rose from a 
rose-bush takes the trouble to look at the stem and leaves, 
he will, in nine cases out of ten, find it covered — almost to 
swarming — with small green insects, generally devoid of 
wings, and of a hue resembling that of the leaf. They are 
curious, though hardly handsome objects, and the observer 
finds them so sluggish in their movements, that so far from 
attempting to make their escape they allow themselves to be 
crushed in hundreds beneath his fingers. If the observer is 
sharpenough in pointof perception, he will find that theleaves 
on which these insects have rested, are covered over with little 
drops of a miniature dew which has a sweetish honey-like 
flavour, and if he pushes his inquiries further, he will discover 
that the insects and the drops stand to each other in the rela- 
tion of cause and effect. The aphides leave this deposit on 
the plants, but. how ? This is the question which the earlier 
naturalists, Linnaeus, Bonnet, and Pierre Huber, were long 
seeking to answer. But we may fairly presume the ants had 
answered it for themselves in even pre- Adamite ages. The 
aphis presents at the extremity of its abdomen, a couple of 
little moveable tubes which appear to bo connected with a 
sugar-secreting gland, and if we carefully watch these, we 
shall see from time to time that a small gelatinous drop exudes 
from their open ends, and falls upon the leaf. Now it also 
happens that in nearly every case where aphides are clustered 
upon a stem or branch, a few ants may be seen running 
nimbly here and there among their lazy neighbours, and if 
we look closely, we shall see that the ants are not there by 
accident, but that they have come in search of the little 
sugary droplets which exude from the abdominal tubes of 
the aphis, and of which they appear to be immensely fond. 
This, then, is the secret of the affection which the ants have 
for the aphides — the latter are a sort of milch cattle which 
supply them with food. Frequently the ant waits patiently 
till the aphis drops its sugary secretion, and then it licks 
it up greedily. But it also often occurs that it stimulates 
the aphis to give out this secretion, in order to satisfy its 
desires. 
The careful observations of Pierre Huber* proved, beyond 
question, that the ant knows that by gently touching the 
abdominal tube of the aphis it can cause the latter to eject the 
peculiar fluid, which is secreted in its gland (see Plate). And 
that it makes use of this knowledge is a certain fact, which 
has been over and over again corroborated by naturalists. 
The ant doesn’t endeavour to irritate the aphis ; it simply 
touches its tube with a gentle stroking motion which seems 
to soothe the gorged insect and promotes the discharge of 
the saccharine droplet. In fact, the aphis appears to enjoy 
this process of milking, and the ants, to use a modern 
expression, utilize it. The next feature in the relationship 
of these two insects is the bondage of the aphides. Singu- 
lar as the fact may seem, it is still perfectly true, that the 
ants capture the aphides, bear them away, often on their 
backs, to their underground dwellings and keep them there, 
not indeed as prisoners of war, but as a Southern planter 
used to keep his slaves, or as we keep our cattle. They treat 
them with no harshness, nor do the captives appear to 
suffer any discomfort from their captivity. They are 
provided with chambers of their own, and save that they 
are compelled by their masters to yield the delicious se- 
cretion which they value so highly, they fare in all respects 
as well as any member of the strange community in which 
their life is passed. 
There are many other traits in the ant’s nature which well 
deserve attention, but to which we cannot refer here. 
Those interested in the matter should pursue the study 
practically to pursue it profitably. Indeed the whole 
insect world is peopled with creatures, each of which should 
have a history of its own, were insect intelligence to re- 
ceive its due. But as few of us can be practical naturalists 
beyond a limited extent, and as many are desirous of 
knowing the leading principles of the science of entomology, 
and some of the curious facts in the history of insect 
instinct, we cannot do better in conclusion than say that in 
* Recherclies sur les Mceurs des Fourmis indigenes, a work 
often quoted in M. Figuior’s pages. 
