Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 January 1875 — Bees and Ants. [ARTICLE]

Bees and Ants.

Sir John Lubbqck, M. P., says the Manchester Ovardiian, who devotes himself a good deal to entomology, has been lecturing on bees and ants to the MidKent Natural History Society. His details in regard to bees, and the result of prolonged' watching, are rather unfavorable to the character of the favorite insects, which he charges especially with selfishness and lack of sympathy for one another. He believes the common opinion as to their devotion to the queen bee to be without foundation. There is a great difference in the degree of their intelligence, and great peculiarities with reference to their time of work. He believed bee| did hear, though he was never able to make any sound which they were able to recognize. He believed they had a keen sense of smell, and that would account in many cases for the antipathy or otherwise which they are said to have for persons. He found that the warmth or coldness of the body had much to do with their friendliness toward him. As to the ants, his observations entirely confirm the common opinion of their steadiness, perseverance and industry. Then as to their power of communication, it often happened that an ant which had been put to honey came Back from the nest with one friend; sometimes there were more, and in some cases as many as twenty ants returned with the single ant which had gone from the honey to the nest. The manner in which communication of ideas by ants was made was still doubtful, and Be had brought the subject forward in the hope that he might induce others to make futther and better observations. ."■i . —Spinner has been Treasurer fourteen years.