Note 4 — CHAP. V. OF THE WARS OF ANTS, AND SOME OTHER PARTICULARS.

They have also their diseases. I have noticed one extremely singular. The individuals who are attacked, lose the power of advancing in a straight line; they cannot proceed but by turning in a very confined circle, and always in the same direction. A virgin female that was enclosed in one of my sand boxes was suddenly seized in this way; she described a circle of an inch in diameter, making about a thousand turns each hour. She turned constantly during seven days, and when I visited her in the night, I saw her engaged in the same practice. I gave her some honey, of which I have every reason to believe she partook. I once discovered three labourers performing these evolutions, one of them still possessed the faculty of occasionally moving in a straight line. I took it up and placed it on my hand; it continued its gyrations, stopped a moment to taste some honey, and recommenced its circular journey. The second labourer, which was of the Ash-coloured species, had one of its antennæ cut; it however escaped, before I had made upon it the experiments I proposed. The third labourer, belonging to the Fallow Ants, had suffered no external injury. I am unacquainted with the cause of this malady; the only one I have observed ants to be affected with.—A.