ANTS— COMMUNICATION . 
51 
47| hours the ants which had access to a glass containing 
numerous larvae brought 257 friends to their assistance ; 
while during an interval 5J hours longer those which 
visited the glass with only two or three larvae brought only 
82 friends ; and, as already mentioned, no single ant came 
to the glass which contained no larvae. Now, as all the 
glasses were exposed to similar conditions, and as the 
roads to the first two must, in the first instance at all 
events, have been equally scented by the passage of ants 
over them, these results look very conclusive as proving 
some power of definite communication, not only that 
larvae are to be found, but even where the largest store is 
to be met with. 
To this interesting account Sir John Lubbock adds, — • 
One case of apparent communication struck me very much. 
I had had an ant \F. niger) under observation one day, during 
which she was occupied in carrying off larvae to her nest. At 
night I imprisoned her in a small bottle ; in the morning I let 
her out at 6.15, when she immediately resumed her occupation. 
Having to go to London, I imprisoned her again at 9 o’clock. 
When I returned at 4.40 I put her again to the larvae. She 
examined them carefully, and went home without taking one. 
At this time no other ants were out of the nest. In less than 
a minute she came out again with eight friends, and the little 
heap made straight for the heap of larvae. When they had gone 
two-thirds of the way I again imprisoned the marked ant ; 
the others hesitated a few minutes, and then with curious quick- 
ness returned home. At 5.15 I put her again to the larvae. 
She again went home without a larva, but after only a few 
seconds’ stay in the nest, came out with no less than thirteen 
friends. They all went towards the larvae, but when they had 
got about two-thirds of the way, although the marked ant had 
on the previous day passed over the ground about 150 times, 
and though she had just gone straight from the larvae to the 
nest, she seemed to have forgotten her way. and considered ; 
and after she had wandered about for half an hour, I put her to 
the larvae. Now, in this case, the twenty-one ants must have 
been brought out by my marked one, for they came exactly 
with her, and there were no other ants out. Moreover, it would 
seem that they must have been told, because (which is very 
curious in itself) she did not in either case bring a larva, and 
