DO ANTS REASON?

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 752, 26 February 1910, Page 15

DO ANTS REASON?

-■ ';■ MORti I'Ayßßirars-iraSHAEBS'' ; V V-;.;>;\- ■'■'-[■ :-;i-- : 'i Althbu'g&;Mr' Henry;gill:at the tondon. Institution .would not'allow ? ants 'any higher -quality than that of ''■ "instinct,Lord Ayobury, sees no/reason ."to; alter-'the conclusions ;at, which he -arrived .thirfy ■years :ago,-.after : many careful.;.• expert-' ;mehts.-V'He..still'believes that;these insects 1 have, -''the-giit' of;reason.": ; .'! '■'' :'; : .•... ,;'.'l nave not; studied-ants. ''for many years," ; said;X6rd'.AvelJury,"but;;l hppe to .renew toy experiments ■. before :lobb, and'. 1,, still: adhere ■.■• to\, ; the■ -. cpnotasions ,whkVyou :wttlGiid'ih'my took on. 'iits, Becsy.->M^ , WMps;';'';KV:-that'.'wdrk:.l.'«aid,- , :,'When ..wo see] aii^iit-iiiU,': • tenanted rby thousands:of.-indiisti'ioiia inhabitints-'.ex- : cavating ' 'chainher's,'.': forming ■ '.tunnels, making ..■ 'roads, W:Bruarding: .'their home, .gathering; f00d, , ; feeding the young.tend- ' ing their ; domestic:. animals,.:.each one M&Uingits Auties ..indnstriously./.and without confusion, it is difficult altogether to, deny;, to i them the gift of' reason;- and, the; preceding tend' to confirm .the; opinion that their mental powers difier .iiom,tliose;!of men .not sp v inuch.ih: 'kind as : in degree.' ' ■■,■ '■:,':,! 'j'■',.'.'■''..'" ",'.)',:'-','■ "My ;principal"experiment was ;'onfl. in which 1 placed intoxicated - anta near.i.n .nest,', thirty-eight j beingV .". and : ; ,forty>.stranger3 ;.tp;,the, colony.: . Of,.!.the ■friends^twenty-seven were";tal£en;'into the ■ nest,'nnd-.carefully.' tended,", : seven '.were. ■ dropped, into; tho moat;surro.un.ding. it, and ■ four"• yreta. left .-alone. ■'. 'Of the : strangers' thirty, were : drqpped;;into" the prater;. ono iwaaUeft, alone, and nine.:were taken, into .the litest., 1 '; Of; the;latter; .seven i-wefeTagain removed from.the.nest and carried to tho .water.';Could-anything inpre clfiarly show /the',reasoning. power 'of the ants ?", .■.','..-. .' Lord ;AtebuTy■ gives'. , instances.y/ithout fnumber'which'■'fee'm' , to show.-that ants. :.have..a;hi!iher power.than'.tliat.pf instinct. ■ Onq,.; of the most'. reniark'ablo : relafes." to their.treatment.of the. eggs, of .'the aphis !or. "ant-cow.".^:They..carefully tend, these ;.eggs; during'.the :winter, taking them intp their ;nests for'the purpose, and then Tβmoyo the young aphides when hatched in the spring,. placing thorn. ~in earthen "cow-sheds" specially constxnoted: tin the young shoots ''of ,"the. daisy;' tho plant ;which;provides , .the : aphis with nourishmeht.i The herd of aphides, thns reared is -then, regularly stroked, or.';"milked": for the-honey they, secrete.- .:■'-•. "■ . .•' [ .."This-seenSs-to me," said Lord Avcbury, in : his historic work,, "a most remarkable caseof prudehco.. Our ants may not porhaps lay. up food for-the .-winter,; but they do more,: for they keep durinp six months the eggs wbicli' will-.- enablo them to. procure food during the following .summer, a caso of'prudence unexampled ;in-..the animal kingdom." ■ , : v---v.'- :i '■■