CONTENTS

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTION

PAGR

Position of ants in the Animal Kingdom-Ants divided into

three families Number of species-Mode of observations

Nests—Mode of marking ants—Stages in life of ants-Egg,

larva, pupa, imago-Length of life-Structure of ants-

Head, thorax, abdomen, antennæ, eyes, ocelli, mouth parts,

legs, wings, sting-Origin of the sting-Character of ants-

Wars among ants-Modes of fighting-Queen ants-Workers

-Different classes of workers—The honey ant–Soldiers-

Origin of the soldiers—Division of labour-Habitations of

ants—Communities of ants—Food-Enemies—Character-

Industry-Games—Cleanliness

: :

1

CHAPTER II.

· FORMATION AND MAINTENANCE OF NESTS.

Foundation of new nests-Doubts on the subject-Views of

Huber, Blanchard, Forel, St. Fargeau, Ebrard-Experiments

with queens- Foundation of a nest of Myrmica by two

queens-Adoption of queens-Fertility of workers-Eggs

laid by fertile workers always produce males-Queens seldom

produced in captivity-Origin of difference between queens

and workers--Longevity of ants-Arrangement of chambers

in a nest–Division of labour-The honey ant . . 30

CHAPTER III.

ON THE RELATION OF ANTS TO PLANTS.

PAGB

Flowers and insects—Ants not so important in relation to

flowers as bees, but not without influence-Ants seldom

promote cross-fertilisation, and hence injurious to flowers-

Modes by which they are excluded – Belt — Kerner —

Aquatic plants — Moats — Dipsacus —— Slippery surfaces-

Gentian, snowdrop, cyclamen - Concealment of honey-

Antirrhinum, Linaria, Campanula, Ranunculus, Lamium,

Primula, Geranium, &c.—Protection of honey oy thickets

of spines or hairs—Protection by viscid secretions-Silene,

Senecio, Linnæa, Polygonum, &c.— Milky juice-Lactuca-

Nectaries on leaves-Leaf-cutting ants-Ants as tree guards

-Importance of ants in destroying other insects—Har-

vesting ants-Solomon-The Mischna-Meer Hassan Ali-

Sykes - Moggridge-Agricultural ants—Lincecum-McCook 50

CHAPTER IV.

RELATIONS TO OTHER ANIMALS.

Hunting ants—The Driver ants—Ecitons-Insects mimicking

ants— Enemies of ants-Parisites-Mites-Phora–Domestic
animals of ants-Aphides-Eggs of Aphides kept through
the winter by ants-Blind beetles-Pets - Progress among
ants-Relations of ants to one another- Stenamma-Solenopsis
-Slave-making ants – Formica sanguinca - Polyergus –
Expeditions of Polyergus-Polyergus fed by the slaves,
Strongylognathus-Degradation of Strongylognathus-Aner-

gates-Explanation of the present state of Strongylognathus

and Anergates— Progress among ants--Phases of life-

Hunting, pastoral, and agricultural species .

• 63

CHAPTER V.

BEHAVIOUR TO RELATIONS.

Mr. Grote on ‘Morality as a necessity of society'- Behaviour

of ants to one another-Statements of previous writers :

PAGE

Latreille, St. Fargeau, Forel-Difference of character among

ants — Experiments — Isolated combats-Neglect of com-

panions if in trouble-Experiments with insensible ants -

Drowned ants—Buried ants-Contrast of behaviour to

friends and strangers-Instances of kindness—A crippled

ant-A dead queen- Behaviour to chloroformed friends-

Behaviour to intoxicated friends .

93

CHAPTER VI.

RECOGNITION OF FRIENDS.

Number of ants in a community—They all recognise one another

-All others are enemies - Recognition after separation-

Strange ants never tolerated in a nest-Experiments-Be-

haviour to one another after a separation of more than a

year-Recognition unmistakable-How are they recognised ?

----Some naturalists have suggested by scent, some by a

pass-word-Experiments with intoxicated ants--- With pupa

removed from the nest and subsequently returned-Separa-

tion of a nest into two halves, and recognition as friends by

the ants in each balf of young bred in the other half-Pupæ

tended by ants from a different nest treated as friends in

the nest from which they were taken, and as strangers if

put into the nest of their nurses— Recognition neither per-

sonal nor by means of a pass-word .

· 119

CHAPTER VII.

POWER OF COMMUNICATION.

Statements of previous writers : Kirby_and Spence, Huber, la

Franklin, Dugardin, Forel-Habit of bringing friends to
food—Exceptional cases-Experiments to determine whether
ants are brought or directed to stores of food-Scent-Sight

-Experiments with different quantities of food-Ants

which returned empty-handed and brought friends to

assist . . . .

. . . 153

CHAPTER VIII.

THE SENSES OF ANTS.

PAGE

SIGHT:-Difficulty of understanding how insects see Number

of eyes — Two theories — Views of Müller, Grenacher,

Lowne, Claparede-Appreciation of colour-Sensitiveness

to violet-Perception of ultra-violet rays. HEARING :- An-

tennæ regarded by many entomologists as organs of hearing

-Opinions as to whether ants, bees, and wasps hear-

General opinion that bees and wasps can hear-Huber and

Forel doubt in the case of ants—Experiments with ants-

Forel's observations-Colonel Long-Mr. Tait-Structure of

anterior tibia. THE SENSE OF SMELL . .

. 182

CHAPTER IX.

GENERAL INTELLIGENCE,

Statements of previous writers-Economy of labour-Experi.

ments as to ingenuity in overcoming obstacles and econo-

mising labour-Experiments with bridges, embankments,

and moats-Earthworks—Ingenuity in building nests-

Difficulty in finding their way-Experiments with movable

objects-Sense of direction--Experiments with rotating

disks—Experiments with rotating table—Influence of light 236

CHAPTER X

BEES.

Difficulty experienced by bees in finding their way-Communi-

cation between bees-Bees do not by any means always
summon one another when they have discovered a store of
food-Bees in strange hives—Infatuation of bees—Want of
affection-Behaviour to queen-Sentinels—The sense of
hearing—The sense of colour- Experiments with coloured
papers-Power of distinguishing colours-Preference for
blue-Influence of bees on the colours of flowers— Blue
flowers-Paucity of blue flowers-Blue flowers of compara-

tively recent origin . .

CHAPTER XI.

WASPS.

PAGE

Communication among wasps-Like bees, they by no means

invariably bring companions when they have discovered a
store of food-Courage of wasps—Polistes gallica-A tame

wasp-Power of distinguishing colours—Wasps less guided

by colour than bees-Industry of wasps-A day's work-

Directness of flight of wasps . . . . . 311