Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1875-04-14
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Ant and Bee Discourse.


The eminent and practical naturalist
Sir John Lubbock, although mem
Der Of Parliament, has found, or taken
time to watch patiently the proceed
ings of bees and ants, with a view o
throwing some light upon the ASSERTED
facts of their being able to communi
cate among themselves not only emo
tons but facts. In late letter to the
Mid-Kent Natural History Society he
gave very interesting and exact details
of his tests and observations.
One trial consisted in placing {
comb OF honey, on fine July day, in
rather out-ot-the-way place, and put
ting single wasp or bee on it, with G
view to discover whether this single
insect could or would tell others o.
the store and bring them to it. a bee
placed on the comb sucked at the
comb for nearly hall an hour, and then
flew back to the hive, returning in
about fifteen minutes to suck for few
minutes, and so on, making a visit
every twelve or fifteen minutes till
nearly eight o'clock in the evening,
bnt always alone Next morning at a
few moments before six she began to
renew her visits, and came about every
twelve minutes till noon, when watch
ing was discontinued: but no other
bee came. The next day was untavor-
able for bees, but while the rest were
idle she worked Oh as before, and on
this day two other bees joined her
They appeared to be stragglers which
found the place by accident,
He could not discover any evidences
of affection for each other among bees.
A bee held by pincers among others,
or even killed in their presence, did
not attract the least notice from them
In everything but in the collection Of
stores tor common use they seem to
be entirely selfish.
In regard to their material senses,
ne could not discover any proof of
their possessing the faculty of hearing.
He could hot get them to notice mere
noises of any sort, Screams, shouts,
whistlings and fiddle-playing were
thrown away upon them, yet he be-
lieved they recognized some sounds,
because they made varying sounds
themselves, as with purpose. Their
scent is evidently keen. Bees always
came out of the hive when few drops
Of Col ygne water were dropped at the
entrance; and as the same bees CON
stantly came, when this was done
seven or eight times in succession, it
seemed that these were stationed SEN
tinels. Bees evidently distinguish
colors. When placed to feed on honey
dropped upon papers Of different col
ors, the same bee invariably returned
to the same color for more. If the
positions of the colored papers were
changed, they would recoil, buzz
around for while, and then, having
found the color they had visited be-
fore, they would settle on it. So it
appears that the colors Of flowers, Of
positive aesthetic value to us, are of
practical and material use to the bees
Sir John says that he observed evil
dence Of great variations in the degree
Of intelligence possessed by individ-
uals among bees. Some were long in
finding intricate way to some cover
ed cup Of sweets and required repeated
assistance before they could remember
the way. Others needed only to be
shown it once.
As to ants, the evidence Of COM
munication and concerted action SEEM
ed strong. As one test, honey was
placed on one only Of several little
tables made Of cards by pushing long
pins through the corners up to the
head and sticking them into board.
Single ants placed with the honey and
presently returning to the nest always
brought friends along, sometimes but
one, sometimes as many as twenty
And in nearly all cases all the ants
went up the pins of that scatfold only
which carried the honey.
The lecturer did not explain how he
managed to distinguish and identify
the indivual insects. Nor did he dis,
cover by what means the ants com
municated their discoveries. - Country
Gentleman.