p. 255 | How Ants Communicate

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jun 8, 1882

How Ants Communicate

It appears to be quite well established that ants, and a few other insects, have the highly organized faculty of communicating their ideas to one another. The researches of modern observers, such as Lubbock and McCook, have confirmed the belief in such a power. Dr. Franklin shared the belief, and tested the matter in an interesting experiment. He placed a small jar, containing a little treacle, in a closet, where a number of ants soon collected to prey upon the vessel's contents. When all was eaten the doctor cleared the jar of the ants, and putting some fresh treacle in it, suspended it by a string from a nail in the ceiling. A single ant remained in the jar, which ate until satisfied, and then sought to find its way out. It was for some time perplexed, but finally climbed the string to the ceiling, and escaped down the wall. It had been gone but a short time when a large swarm of ants flocked into the closet, climbed up the wall to the ceiling, and then descended by the string into the jar, where they remained until the treacle was devoured, and then departed by the string. It is hardly possible that this should have taken place, had not the first ant made some communication to the others.