432 
Habits and Anatomy of the 
f July, 
rather difficult to conceive how muscular effort can be 
brought to bear to overcome the adtion of gravity in th 
nosSn unless by some clasping of the terminal hooks of 
the feet’ around the excrescences of the rough ceiling. It 
seems more probable that support is gained by the a<a ‘°“ of 
come the force of gravity, and has no occasion for muscular 
ants in replacing fallen honey-bearers comes from observa- 
tions of their behaviour in the artificial formicary. From 
various causes these ants occasionally fell to the floor ot 
their chambers, often alighting in the m0S J. un ?°“ fo !j ^ he 
positions. In some instances they lay on the base of the 
rounded abdomen, with the head and thorax upward looking 
not unlike the old-fashioned flat-bottomed Dutch dolls , in 
other cases they lay head downward, quite buried undei 
load of sweets. Yet, uncomfortable as these positions 
must have been, the working ants made no efforts to replace 
them in a more desirable position, much less to carry them 
back to their elevated dormitory. They would attend to 
their wants so far as the need of cleansing them was con- 
Ce To d discover ff^he honey-bearers were satisfied in these 
unnatural postures, Dr. McCook tried the expedient of mtr o- 
ducing a straw or broom splint to such as weie within his 
reach^ In every instance he found them to vigorously grasp 
this substance, and to cling to it until they were drawn into 
a "S Of sympathy with friend, in .rouble 
was strengthened by another observation. On one occasion 
a lLge K of compact earth fell upon one of the honey 
ants, S burying and compressing its abdomen, and having 
only the anterior portions of the insedt visible ; yet 
other ants made no effort to relieve it from this ffifficulty, 
which they could readily have done, but moved about it 
with the most supreme indifference to its unfortunate con- 
^An' observation of some importance in respedt to the 
question of ant intelligence is that regarding the demeanour 
of the ants towards dead honey-bearers. In this case it 
