ANTS, BEES, AND WASPS.

CHAPTER

INTRODUCTION.

THE Anthropoid apes no doubt approach nearer to man in bodily structure than do any other animals; but when we consider the habits of Ants, their social organisation, their large communities, and elaborate habitations; their roadways, their possession of domestic animals, and even, in some cases, of slaves, it must be admitted that they have a fair claim to rank next to man in the scale of intelligence. They present, more over, not only a most interesting but also a very extensive field of study. They are divided into three families: the Formicidæ, Poneridæ, and Myrmicidæ, comprising many genera and a large number of species. In this country we have rather more than thirty kinds ; but ants become more numerous in species, as well as individuals, in warmer countries, and more than a

;

thousand species are known. Even this large number 18 certainly far short of those actually in existence.'

I have kept in captivity about half of our British species of ants, as well as a considerable number of foreign forms, and for the last few years have generally had from thirty to forty communities under observation. After trying various plans, I found the most convenient method was to keep them in nests consisting of two plates of common window glass, about ten inches square, and at a distance apart of from

to

of an inch (in fact just sufficiently deep to allow the ants freedom of motion), with slips of wood round the edges, the intermediate space being filled up with fine earth. If the interval between the glass plates was too great, the ants were partly hidden by the earth, but when the distance between the plates of glass was properly regulated with reference to the size of the ants, they were open to close observation, and had no opportunity of concealing themselves. Ants, however, very much dislike light in their nests, probably because it makes them think themselves insecure, and I always therefore kept the nests covered over, except when under actual ! I have had some doubt whether I should append descriptions of the British species. On the whole, however, I have not thought it necessary to do so. They are well given in various entomological works for instance, in Smith's Catalogue of British Fossorial Hymenoptera; Saunders' Synopsis of British Heterogyna; and in Mayr's Die Europäischen Formiciden, all of which are cheap and easily procurable. I have, however, given figures of the principal species with which I have worked.

observation. I found it convenient to have one side of the nest formed by a loose slip of wood, and at one corner I left a small door. These glass nests I either kept in shallow boxes with loose glass covers resting on baize, which admitted enough air, and yet was impervious to the ants; or on stands surrounded either by water, or by fur, with the hairs pointing downwards. Some of the nests I arranged on stands, as shown in

fig. 1. A A is an upright post fixed on a base B B. CC is a square platform of wood round which runs a ditch of water. Above are six nests, D, each lying on a platform E, which could be turned for facility of observation, as shown in the dotted lines D' and E'. Thus the ants had a considerable range, as they could wander as far as the water ditch. The object of having the platform C C larger than the supports of the nests

was that if the ants fell, as often happened, they were within the water boundary, and were able to return home. This plan answered fairly well, and saved space, but it did not quite fulfil my hopes, as the ants were so pugnacious, that I was obliged to be very careful which nests were placed on the same stand.

Of course it was impossible to force the ants into these glass nests. On the other hand, when once the right way is known it is easy to induce them to go in. When I wished to start a new nest I dug one up, and brought home the ants, earth, &c., all together. I then put them over one of my artificial nests, on one of the platforms surrounded by a moat of water. Gradually the outer earth dried up, while that between the two plates of glass, being protected from evaporation, retained its moisture. Under these circumstances the ants found it more suitable to their requirements, and gradually deserted the drier mould outside, which I removed by degrees. In the earth between the plates of glass the ants tunnelled out passages, chambers, &c. (fig. 2), varying in form according to the circumstances and species.

Even between the plates of glass the earth gradually dried up, and I had to supply artificial rain from time to time. Occasionally also I gave them an altogether new nest. They seem, however, to get attached tc their old homes, and I have one community which bas inhabited the same glass case ever since 1874.

It is hardly necessary to say that the individual

ants belonging to the communities placed on the stands just described, knew their own nests perfectly well.

These nests gave me special facilities for observing the internal economy of ant life. Another main difference between my observations and those of previous naturalists has consisted in the careful record of the actions of individual ants. The most convenient mode of marking them was, I found, either with a small dab of paint on the back, or, in the case of bees or wasps, by snipping off a fragment at the extremity of the wing. This, I need hardly say, from the structure of the wing, gave the insect no pain; in fact, as it is only necessary to remove a minute portion, not sufficient to make any difference in their flight, they seemed scarcely to notice it. I never found any difficulty in painting bees or wasps; if they are given a little honey they become so intent that they quietly allow the paint to be applied. Of course too much must not be put on, and care must be taken not to touch the wings or cover up the spiracles. Ants require somewhat more delicate treatment, but with a little practice they could also be marked without any real difficulty

No two species of Ants are identical in habits; and, on various accounts, their mode of life is far from easy to unravel. In the first place, most of their time is passed underground: all the education of the young, for instance, is carried on in the dark. Again, ants are essentially gregarious; it is in some cases difficult to