Feb. 1, 1877.— George Bentham, F.R.S., Vice-President, in the chair.
The following gentlemen were elected Fellows of the Society:—Messrs. George Boulger (Cressingham, Reading, Berks), Alfred S. Heath (Primrosehill Road, N.W.), and William Meller (Sewardstone, Woodford Green, Essex).
Mr. Alfred W. Bennett exhibited and made some remarks on specimens of insects, illustrating mimicry. These species (Vespa and Asilus) were captured in Syria by Mr. N. Godman.
Curious and interesting examples of double Anemones, and of unusually large oak-leaves gathered near Croydon were shown and commented on by Mr. Samuel Stevens.
Sir John Lubbock, Bart., M.P., then proceeded to read the fourth part of his "Contributions on the Habits of Ants, Bees and Wasps." In this communication his experiments and observations related exclusively to different species of ants, and in the main were a continuation, though with considerable ingenious modifications, of his previous inquiries, to test the intelligence of these insects. In one instance, he filled a saucer with water, put a block of wood therein, and from the top of the block a horizontal wooden rod leading to a glass cell containing abundance of larvæ. A strip of paper was then placed as a kind of inclined plane between the latter and the nest. Another larger block of wood of an ┌ shape, the horizontal arm of which overhung the glass cell with the larvæ, and merely separated by three-tenths of an inch from the latter, this space being occupied with a paper slip hanging right on to the larvæ; thus ┌ ┐: there were two direct routes from the nest to the larvæ, which specimens of Lasius niger took advantage of and for several hours carried off larvæ from the cell. But no sooner was the three-tenths of an inch interval left open than the ants were foiled in access to the larvæ, and neither were they intelligent enough to drop three-tenths of an inch or congregate en masse to the same height, and thus form a connection whereby their companions could get at the desired food-store. Industry was conspicuously shown by one individual, which Sir John used to place in solitary confinement in a bottle as he left home for the day; but when liberated on his return home the creature immediately commenced labour. On one occasion, after a week's absence, the ant was no sooner released than it bravely entered on its larval-gathering propensities. It seems from other experiments that ants in difficulties within sight of their companions are by no means always assisted or relieved, any store of honey or other food having attractions of far greater interest for them. On putting some specimens under the influence of chloroform, little or no notice was taken of their insensible companions; in some cases even their friends pushed them out of the way; the tendency was to let their friends lie, but strangers were dropped over the edge of the board. It seems that to get ants properly intoxicated with spirit, for experimental purposes, is no easy matter, some recovering too quickly, and others remaining so thoroughly
