Search Results - The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online

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A761.15 Beagle Library: Cuvier, Georges. 1827-35. The animal kingdom arranged in conformity with its organization. With additional descriptions of all the species hitherto named, and of many not before noticed, by Edward Griffith and others. 16 vols. London: Geo. B. Whittaker. vol. 15: Insecta (2). Text

the other side. Immediately a thousand ants pass over these which serve them as a bridge. Such is the account of Mademoiselle de Merian; but it is by no means confirmed by Capt. Stedman, who on the contrary, declares, that in traversing the places frequented by these insects, he could never gain any knowledge or information of its truth or falsehood. We shall here cite two curious passages from this last-mentioned writer, concerning the exotic ants. During the day we were continually assailed by

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A761.15 Beagle Library: Cuvier, Georges. 1827-35. The animal kingdom arranged in conformity with its organization. With additional descriptions of all the species hitherto named, and of many not before noticed, by Edward Griffith and others. 16 vols. London: Geo. B. Whittaker. vol. 15: Insecta (2). Text

the earth. It was very pleasant to see this army of ants, each with its piece of green leaf, perpetully following the same route. We are so much prone to believe in the marvellous, that some persons have pretended that this devastation was made for the benefit of a blind serpent. The truth is, that these leaves serve as food to the young of the ants, which have not strength to procure it for themselves, and which sometimes are lodged in the ground at the depth of more than six feet. In this

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A761.15 Beagle Library: Cuvier, Georges. 1827-35. The animal kingdom arranged in conformity with its organization. With additional descriptions of all the species hitherto named, and of many not before noticed, by Edward Griffith and others. 16 vols. London: Geo. B. Whittaker. vol. 15: Insecta (2). Text

ants. It introduces its long tongue into their nest, and does not withdraw it till it is completely covered with these insects, which are then swallowed. Other birds also destroy a great quantity of ants: they carry off the nymphs and larv , to present to their young. But the most terrible of all their enemies is man; he overturns and destroys their habitations, to obtain their larv as food for the birds which he is rearing, more especially for pheasants and partridges. These insects also

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A761.15 Beagle Library: Cuvier, Georges. 1827-35. The animal kingdom arranged in conformity with its organization. With additional descriptions of all the species hitherto named, and of many not before noticed, by Edward Griffith and others. 16 vols. London: Geo. B. Whittaker. vol. 15: Insecta (2). Text

the army then casts itself in mass on the habitation, penetrate thither after having put the proprietors to the route, carry off their nurselings in haste, but without taking any adult prisoners. When returned to their domicile the amazon ants again experience from the ash-coloured ants that live along with them the best reception, and on their side they confide to their faithful auxiliaries the fruits of their conquest. M. Huber has seen them return a third time to pillage. But they then

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A761.15 Beagle Library: Cuvier, Georges. 1827-35. The animal kingdom arranged in conformity with its organization. With additional descriptions of all the species hitherto named, and of many not before noticed, by Edward Griffith and others. 16 vols. London: Geo. B. Whittaker. vol. 15: Insecta (2). Text

prevent the grievous inconveniences which might result from this error of the amazons, Nature has not permitted them to commit their robberies until after the metamorphosis of the males, females, and auxiliary ants. But M. Latreille, with greater probability, attributes still more wisdom to the regulations of Nature in this respect, by supposing that the exclusive choice made by the amazons of the other auxiliary ants is the result of a superior instinct, incapable of any mistake. Besides, the

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A761.15 Beagle Library: Cuvier, Georges. 1827-35. The animal kingdom arranged in conformity with its organization. With additional descriptions of all the species hitherto named, and of many not before noticed, by Edward Griffith and others. 16 vols. London: Geo. B. Whittaker. vol. 15: Insecta (2). Text

them, though apparently suited to their taste. He constantly observed, that the amazons, on their return from their expeditions, confided to the ash-coloured ants the booty which they had taken. Annoyed, perhaps, by the pertinacious observations of this naturalist, these latter ants ventured, at the end of some time, to emigrate. He thought to prevent them by placing the hive elsewhere; but they soon found out a new situation, which determined M. Huber to replace his artificial formicary in

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A761.14 Beagle Library: Cuvier, Georges. 1827-35. The animal kingdom arranged in conformity with its organization. With additional descriptions of all the species hitherto named, and of many not before noticed, by Edward Griffith and others. 16 vols. London: Geo. B. Whittaker. vol. 14: Insecta (1). Text

, such as that of the ants, the neuters are deprived of wings, and for the completion of their labours have no other instruments than the parts of the mouth. All the individuals of the other societies have wings, but the wasps are not better provided than the ants in regard of the means for the execution of their work. It is not so with the humble-bees and bees. The legs and tarsi of their hinder limbs have a peculiar form, which allows them to collect the pollen of flowers. These insects also have

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A761.15 Beagle Library: Cuvier, Georges. 1827-35. The animal kingdom arranged in conformity with its organization. With additional descriptions of all the species hitherto named, and of many not before noticed, by Edward Griffith and others. 16 vols. London: Geo. B. Whittaker. vol. 15: Insecta (2). Text

suitable form; and that some of these ants had wings. Leuwenhoek, Swammerdam, and Degeer, were the first who presented the world with sure and positive notions respecting these animals. But of all naturalists, there is none who has observed them with so much attention and sagacity, as M. Pierre Huber, son of the celebrated philosopher of the same name. From him we shall borrow most of our observations on this subject. The societies of ants are either simple or mixed; that is, solely composed of

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A761.15 Beagle Library: Cuvier, Georges. 1827-35. The animal kingdom arranged in conformity with its organization. With additional descriptions of all the species hitherto named, and of many not before noticed, by Edward Griffith and others. 16 vols. London: Geo. B. Whittaker. vol. 15: Insecta (2). Text

These nests do not preserve this form in the plains, where they are more exposed to accidents. Other ants exhibit an architecture of a different kind. These are commonly termed the carpenter ants. Such is the F. fuliginosa, called the emmet in this country, where it is less common than those we have already noticed, though occasionally to be met with. The republics of this insect, composed of a great number of individuals, inhabit the interior of many trees, but especially those of the oak and

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A761.15 Beagle Library: Cuvier, Georges. 1827-35. The animal kingdom arranged in conformity with its organization. With additional descriptions of all the species hitherto named, and of many not before noticed, by Edward Griffith and others. 16 vols. London: Geo. B. Whittaker. vol. 15: Insecta (2). Text

Without our being able positively to assign the cause, the wood worked by those insects is always blackish, externally, and even internally, where it is most thin. The vegetation of the tree does not appear to suffer, yet M. Huber has found at its foot a black, liquid, and very abundant juice. The same fact has been observed by M. Latreille. The natural colour of the wood, which serves as an habitation to the other species of carpenter-ants, does not change in this manner. Not having been

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A761.15 Beagle Library: Cuvier, Georges. 1827-35. The animal kingdom arranged in conformity with its organization. With additional descriptions of all the species hitherto named, and of many not before noticed, by Edward Griffith and others. 16 vols. London: Geo. B. Whittaker. vol. 15: Insecta (2). Text

flight again, and rejoin a cloud of winged ants, assembled on some tree, or sporting round its summit. The males and females of another species of ants, assemble together in the manner of a swarm, which balances itself in the air, rising and sinking alternately, in the space of about ten feet, but at no great height above the soil, and but little distant from the ant-hill from which it issued forth. These movements are executed with great slowness. The males which form the mass of the swarm

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A761.15 Beagle Library: Cuvier, Georges. 1827-35. The animal kingdom arranged in conformity with its organization. With additional descriptions of all the species hitherto named, and of many not before noticed, by Edward Griffith and others. 16 vols. London: Geo. B. Whittaker. vol. 15: Insecta (2). Text

. Each column resembled a very slender net-work, and exhibited a tremulous and undulating movement. It was composed of an innumerable multitude of little winged insects, altogether black, which were continually ascending and descending in an irregular manner. Some authors have advanced, but without proof, that the male ants, after fecundation, undergo the same fate as the drones among bees, and that the female ants return to their habitation to confide to the same neuters which have taken care of

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A761.15 Beagle Library: Cuvier, Georges. 1827-35. The animal kingdom arranged in conformity with its organization. With additional descriptions of all the species hitherto named, and of many not before noticed, by Edward Griffith and others. 16 vols. London: Geo. B. Whittaker. vol. 15: Insecta (2). Text

have just recited. Some virgin females, and provided with wings, have opened the cocoons of the nymphs of working ants, which he had placed with them in an apparatus where these females were isolated. He has surprised them occupied in delivering other workers from their last envelope, and without appearing at all embarrassed by the part which they were playing for the first time, and one contrary to the presumed intention of nature. The attachment of the working ants to their females appears to

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A761.15 Beagle Library: Cuvier, Georges. 1827-35. The animal kingdom arranged in conformity with its organization. With additional descriptions of all the species hitherto named, and of many not before noticed, by Edward Griffith and others. 16 vols. London: Geo. B. Whittaker. vol. 15: Insecta (2). Text

is to put water and honey in a bottle, which is suspended to the trees, which are attacked by the ants. The odour of the honey attracts them, and entering the bottle they are drowned. This mixture must be boiled, that the honey may be the better dissolved, and the water prevented from floating above it, and that the odour of the honey may spread with more force, and attract a greater number of ants. The bottles should never be more than half full. There have been many other methods pointed out

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A761.15 Beagle Library: Cuvier, Georges. 1827-35. The animal kingdom arranged in conformity with its organization. With additional descriptions of all the species hitherto named, and of many not before noticed, by Edward Griffith and others. 16 vols. London: Geo. B. Whittaker. vol. 15: Insecta (2). Text

as it were, by touching them with their antenn , giving them food, and relieving some of these amazon ants of their burthen, by seizing the larv which they were carrying, and descending with them into the interior of the nest, where the others having arrived, were also depositing those with which they had been charged. The amazon ants came out no more for the entire day. The ash-coloured remained outside for some time, but they re-entered the nest before night. One of these ant-hills having

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A761.15 Beagle Library: Cuvier, Georges. 1827-35. The animal kingdom arranged in conformity with its organization. With additional descriptions of all the species hitherto named, and of many not before noticed, by Edward Griffith and others. 16 vols. London: Geo. B. Whittaker. vol. 15: Insecta (2). Text

. Huber, at half-past ten in the morning, I saw issue from a mixed ant-hill several small black males: a great number of ash-coloured workers accompanied them. The number of males was continually increasing. Many amazon ants sallied forth also, and paraded in the midst of them, although it was an unseasonable hour for them: they approached the males and licked them, just as the ash-coloured ants do. The latter were the most numerous. Afterwards came the large females. They climbed upon the grass

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A761.15 Beagle Library: Cuvier, Georges. 1827-35. The animal kingdom arranged in conformity with its organization. With additional descriptions of all the species hitherto named, and of many not before noticed, by Edward Griffith and others. 16 vols. London: Geo. B. Whittaker. vol. 15: Insecta (2). Text

travellers who are caught in the Alpine snows. He was always able, by means of his hive, to study the distribution of their apartments. They were excavated in rather irregular stories: some were larger than others, some loftier, some more elongated and narrow, and some were observed, for which the ants rather mine the earth than work it into mortar. The earth which they had thus drawn from the interior was heaped above the last roof, but the work was altogether so massive, that the weight of

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A761.09 Beagle Library: Cuvier, Georges. 1827-35. The animal kingdom arranged in conformity with its organization. With additional descriptions of all the species hitherto named, and of many not before noticed, by Edward Griffith and others. 16 vols. London: Geo. B. Whittaker. vol. 9: Reptilia. Text

ants; but it is quite superfluous to attribute the fact of their quitting their anthills in great numbers to the pursuit of this animal. Captain Stedman informs us, that the common people at Surinam call the amphisb na the king of the ants, and imagine that, when it is blind, the large ants go for the purpose of feeding it. [page] 32

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A761.15 Beagle Library: Cuvier, Georges. 1827-35. The animal kingdom arranged in conformity with its organization. With additional descriptions of all the species hitherto named, and of many not before noticed, by Edward Griffith and others. 16 vols. London: Geo. B. Whittaker. vol. 15: Insecta (2). Text

habitations, like a dome, of many other ants, are closed with earth on all sides, and have but one issue, rather small, near their basis, the way to which is frequently only by a tortuous gallery, which winds through the turf. One would be tempted to believe that the red ants have less foresight, since their dwelling is pierced with a great number of doors, where the rain-water and the enemies of these insects find an easy entrance. But they take care at the decline of day, or on the approach

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A761.15 Beagle Library: Cuvier, Georges. 1827-35. The animal kingdom arranged in conformity with its organization. With additional descriptions of all the species hitherto named, and of many not before noticed, by Edward Griffith and others. 16 vols. London: Geo. B. Whittaker. vol. 15: Insecta (2). Text

The ash-coloured ants possess but a very rude and simple style of building, in comparison with the brown ants. To give more elevation to their dwelling, they commence by covering with a thick layer of earth, brought from the interior, or from the soil which is near the aperture of the ant-hill, the top, or ridge of the edifice. They hollow passes there, more or less approximating, and of a depth pretty nearly equal. The masses of earth which separate them serve as a foundation to the walls and