The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-01-29
The Communicative Ant.

The Communicative Ant.
The following is from paper by Sir
John Lubbock: l selected a specimen
of Attu testacco-pilosa, belonging to a
nest which had brought back with me
from Algeria. She was out hunting,
about six feet from home, and placed
before her Il large dead bluebottle fly,
which she at once began to drag to the
nest. I then pinned the fly to a piece
of cork, in a small box, SO that no ant
could see the fly until she had climbed
up the side of the box. The ant strus-
gled, of course in vain, to move the fly.
She pulled first in one direction and then
in another, but, finding her efforts fruit
less, she at length started off back to the
nest empty.handed. eAt this time there
were no ants coming out of the nest.
Probably there were some few others out
hunting, but for at least a quarter OF an
hour no ant had left the nest. My ant
entered the nest, but did not remain
there in less than minute she emerged,
accompanied by seven friends. l never
saw so many come out OF that nest be-
fore. In her excitement the first ant
soon distanced her companions, who
took the matter with much sangJroid,
and had all the appearance of having
come out reluctantly, or as if they had
been asleep and were only half awake.
The first ant ran on ahead, going straight
to the fly. The others followed slowly
and with many me,nderings; SO slowly,
indeed, that for twenty minutes the first
ant was alone at the fly, trying in every
way to move it. Finding this still i'm.
possible, she again returned to the nest,
not CHANGING to meet any of her friends
by the way. Again she emerged in less
than a minute with eight friends, and
hurried on to the fly. They were
even less energetic than the first party;
and when they found they had lost sight
Of their guide, they one and all returned
to the nest. In the meantime, 81 veral
of the first detachment mad iouni, the
fly, and one of them succeeded in de-
taching leg, with which she returned
in triumph to the nest, coming out
again directly with four or five compan-
ions. These latter, with one exception,
soon gave up the chase and returned to
the nest.
do not think so much of this last
case, because, as the ant carried in \
substantial piece Of booty in the shape
of the tly's leg, it is not surprising that
| hor f,;aric cLc,IJ co,,,o IS %ho,,, o0oon,
pany her on her return; but surely the
other two cases indicate distinct power
of communication. Lest, however, it
should be supposed that the result was
accidental, I determined to try it again.
Accordingly, on the following day, I
put another large dead fly before an ant
belonging to the same nest, pinning it to
a piece Of cork as before. After trying
in vain for ten minutes to move the fly,
my apt started off home. At that time
I could could only see two other ants of
that species outside the nest. Yet in q
few seconds, considerably less than a
minute, she emerged with no less than
twelve friends. As in the previous case,
she ran on ahead, and they followed
slowly and by no means directly, taking,
in fact, nearly half an hour to reach the
fly. The first ant, after vainly laboring
for about quarter of an hour to Gove
the fly, started off again to the nest.
Meeting one of her friends on the way
she talked with her a little, then con-
tinued toward the nest, but after going
about foot, changed her mind
and returned with her friend to
the fly. After some minutes,
during which two or three
other ants came up, one of them de.
tached leg, which she carried off to
the nest, coming out again almost i'm.
mediately with six friends, one OF
whom, curiously enough, seemed to
lead the way, tracing it, l presume, by
scent. l then removed the pin, and
they carried off the fly in triumph.
Again, on June Is, another ant belong.
ing to the same nest had found a dead
spider, about the same distance from
the nest. l pinned down the spider as
before. The ant did all in her power to
move it; but after trying for twelve
minutes she went off to the nest. Fol
quarter of an hour no other ant had
come out, but in some seconds she came
out again with ten companions. AS in
the preceding case, they followed very
leisurely. She ran on ahead and worked
at the spider for ten minutes, when, as
none of her friends had arrived to hel
assistance, though they were wandering
about evidently in search of something,
she started back home again. In three
quarters Of a minute after entering
the nest she reappeared, this time with
fifteen friends, who came on somewha,
more rapidly than the preceding batch
though still but slowly. BY degrees
however, they all came up, and afte,
more persevering efforts carried off the
spider piecemeal. On July7 l tried the
same experiment with a soldier o.
Rheidole megacephala. She pulled a
the fly for no less than fifty minutes
after which she went to the nest an(
brought five friends, exactly as the 4Attt
had done.