ANTS — EMOTIONS. 
45 
but every ant which the stranger approached flew at her 
like a little tigress. I tried this experiment four times ; 
each stranger was killed and borne off to the nest . 5 
Emotions . 
The pugnacity, valour, and rapacity of ants are too 
well and generally known to require the narration of 
special instances of their display. With regard to the 
tenderer emotions, however, there is a difference of opi- 
nion among observers. Before the researches of Sir John 
Lubbock it was the prevalent view that these insects dis- 
play marked signs of affection towards one another, both 
by caressing movements of their antennae, and by showing 
solicitude for friends in distress. Sir John, however, has 
found that the species of ants on which he has experi- 
mented are apparently deficient both in feelings of 
affection and of sympathy — or, at least, that such feelings 
are in these species much less strongly developed than 
the sterner passions. 
He tried burying some specimens of Lasius niger 
beneath an ant-road ; but none of the ants traversing the 
road made any attempt to release their imprisoned com- 
panions. He tried the same experiment with the same 
result on various other species. Even when the friends in 
difficulty are actually in sight, it by no means follows 
that their companions will assist them. Of this, he says, 
he could give almost any number of instances. Thus, 
when ants are entangled in honey, their companions 
devote themselves to the honey, and entirely neglect 
their friends in distress ; and when partly drowned, their 
friends take no notice. When chloroformed or intoxicated 
their own companions either do not heed them, or else 
6 seem somewhat puzzled at finding their intoxicated 
fellow-creatures in such a condition, take them up, and 
carry them about for a time in a somewhat aimless manner . 5 
Further experiments, however, on a larger scale, went to 
show that chloroformed ants were treated as dead, i.e. 
removed to the edge of the parade-board and dropped 
over into the surrounding moat of water; while intoxicated 
