ANTS— SYMPATHY. 
47 
The next morning again, when I got up, I found five ants 
round the bottle containing the strangers, none near the friends. 
As in the former case, one of the ants had seized a stranger by 
the leg, and was trying to drag her through the muslin. All 
day the ants clustered round the bottle, and bit perseveringly, 
though not systematically, at the muslin. The same thing hap- 
pened all the following day. 
On repeating these experiments with another species (viz., 
Formica rufescens ) the ants took no notice of either bottle, 
and showed no sign either of affection or hatred. One is almost 
tempted to surmise that the spirit of these ants is broken by 
slavery [ i.e . by the habit of keeping slaves]. But the experi- 
ments on F fusca seem to show that in these curious insects 
hatred is a stronger passion than affection. 
We must not, however, too readily assent to this 
general conclusion, that ants as a whole are deficient in 
the tenderer emotions ; for although the case is doubtless 
so with the species which Sir John examined, it appears 
to be certainly otherwise with other species, as we shall 
presently see. But first it may be well to point out that 
even the hard-hearted species with which Sir John had to 
do seem not altogether devoid of sympathy with sick or 
mutilated friends, although they appear to be so towards 
healthy friends in distress. Thus the care shown to 
intoxicated friends seems to indicate, if not, as already 
observed, a dim sense of sympathy, at least an instinct to 
preserve the life of an ailing citizen for the future benefit 
of the community. Sir John also quotes some observa- 
tions of Latreille showing that ants display sympathy with 
mutilated companions ; and, lastly, mentions an instance 
which he has himself observed of the same thing. A spe- 
cimen of F. fusca congenitally destitute of antennae was 
attacked and injured by an ant of another species. When 
separated by Sir John, another ant of her own species 
came by. 6 She examined the poor sufferer carefully, then 
picked her up tenderly, and carried her away into the 
nest. It would have been difficult for any one who 
witnessed this scene to have denied to this ant the pos- 
session of humane feelings.’ Moggridge is also of opinion 
that the habit of throwing sick and apparently dead ants 
5 
