Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-12-25
The Habits Of Ants.

Sir John Lubbock stated at the meeting
of the British Association that he had
been for some years watching the habits
OF ants; and had kept under observation
about thirty species. Though living in
captivity they were in good health, and he
had in one nest IL queen which had lived
with him since 1874. lie could confirm
the statements which had been made with
respect TO the architectural skill of ants,
their attention TO their young, their re-
markable organization, their possession of
domestic animals, and even the institution
Of slavery. He had also watched several
other insects which lived in association
with them, of which NJ Andre calculated
that there were five hundred and eighty
three species. In some cases the associl-
ton was accidental, in others it was be-
cause the nests afforded shelter TO other
insects, and there were also some uncom.
Portable companions which attached them
selves to ants and could not be got rid Of
The common house ant was TO be found
sometimes in association with other ants,
but the cases were exceptional, and he had
never seen any instance. A nearly allied
species, however, the sanguinea, was
found in association with others, generally
the fusca. In such cases the nest belonged
to the sanguinea. The queen and the
young were of that species, and the fuscas
were slaves, though free to come and 90,
as there was no fugitive slave law, and
they seemed quite reconcled to their posi-
ton. They assisted in the household
duties, and in foraging for provisions,
They kept the aphdcs in corn, and derived
~ tlbrll, vh,ro nf thoir
from them. In the winter, when they
were of no use, they were still tended
with great care until the spring, when
they became again useful, an instance of
prudence and forelhought uneXampled in
the animal kingdom.
There was one species which took no
part whatever in the duties of the house
hold, and would even starve in the midst
Of plenty if the food were not put into
their mouths. lie had confirmed Huber
remarkable experiments on this point, and
had kept some alive and in health for
months by allowing them Il slave for an
hour II day, to feed and clean them. 10
test their intelligence, he suspended some
honey about half an inch over the nest
which could only be reached by II paper
bridge ten feet long. He then made a
small heap of earth by which they could
reach it. They soon swarmed over the
earth and began to cat, but when he re-
moved some of the earth it never occurred
to them to heap it up again, though they
tried to stretch up TO the honey. He made
u similar experiment by placing honey
which could only be reached by crossing
chasm, over which he had laid as IL bridge
4 bit of straw. He slightly moved the
bridge, and they tried in vain to stretch
over, but never thought of putting the
straw back, which they could easily have
done. Every one knew that if an ant or
bee found store of honey others would
soon collect about it; but very little intel
ligcnce was implied if the ants and bees
only accompanied their friends.
The case was different if they could
describe the locality and send their friends
to it. They did not however, appear to
be able to communicate rs much rs that to
their friends. If fuscas' nest were dis
turbed and one of them found Il place of
conCealment she was anxious that her
friends should come to it. She went up 10
one of them and took it by the mandible
The second ant rolled herself up into Il
ball. and was carried over her shoulder to
lilt IIIuCt. lt StGOIlNl 'iIl luCll NClIG W IL
third, ard the process was repeated. He
put an ant which had been without food
for some days to honey, and saw that after
feeding she was on her way TO the nest
when she met some friends, whom she
fed, and then returned alone to the honey
On her way back again she met some
other friends, whom she fed, and then five
of them went back with her to the honey
In due course they, 10 doubt, brought
others. lie believed they were able TO
distinguish hetwccn II large and II small
quantity. To test this, he put some of the
Lacsius Niger species into Il small store,
and others into large one, and having
watched for fifty hours, found that the
ants with the small quantity brought
eighty-two friends to share it, and the ants
with the large store brought two hundred
and ffly-seven 70 try whether they
could send their fricndc TO II store, he put
an ant (Niger) to some honey, which he
placed near her nest. She fed, returned
to the nest, and came out with ten friends,
He took her up, however, and put her
into the honey, and her friends then wan
dered about, and then returned to the nest.
1t was hard TO say whether there were
differences Of character in ants of the
sgme species, as they behaved differently
under different conditions; but there were
great differences of character and habits
between those Of different species, putting
aside the slave-making species, which -he
thought would find it impossible to COM
pete with the self.dependent and freer spc-
cies.
These communities even showed curious
analogies to the earlier stages of human
progress. There were the hunting, the
pastoral, and even the agricultural ants.
The first lived chiefly by the chase and
hunted alone. Their battles were single
combats, like those described by the an
cicnt poets The second were II higher
type Of social life. they demonstrated
certain species of aphides, like tlocks and
herds. They were immense and acted in
concert. He thought they would probably
eXtermlnate tine first type. just as the white
man eXterminatcs the suvages. OF the
agricultural class, the harvest ants, he
would not speak, rs there were none in
this country, When lie first began to
keep ants, he isolated the nests by water,
but 1t Was necessary to change that often,
and observing that the hairs on the stems
of flowers prevented the ants from climb
ing them, he had since used ferns. One OF
the most surprising points connected with
ants Was, that while there was one nest
they never appeared to quarrel all others,
even of the same species, being treated as
strangers and enemies. There was no
mistaking the treatment If IN ant OuScD
wanted to carry away Il friend to IL place
of security, she took her by the mandibc
and her friend rolled herself into IL ball,
but an enemy is seized by the leg or an
antenna. lie confirmed the experiments
of Huber as to their being able to recog-
nze their friends, even after IL long ah-
sence, or rather their acquaintance, for,
although he saw that they attacked and
killed their enemies, he could not find any
trace of warm affection for their friends.
He tested this by taking some out Of II