Weihaiwei, June 26.—Have just been read ing a scientific article in the Peking Natural History Bulletin concerning the division of labour among Asiatic Carpenter Ants (Camponotus japonicus): this species seems to be common here if I can judge by the descriptions given, and I am therefore carrying out a series of experiments following the lines oí the learned professors who wrote the article. The interesting point is that in addition te males and females (in the nest) there are three types of workers which appear above ground, called for the sake of brevity, Large Intermediate and Small (Large about % an inch long and the others smaller in proportion) Each class has its own special duties, though these overlap in many cases. For example, fighting and guarding the nest are to some extent undertaken by all three classes, but the Large do the greatest share and I therefore Call them the Soldiers: they have large fat heads and big mandibles which look like fierce moustache: if the nest is attacked they block up the entrance (from inside) with their heads, and drag any passing attackers in with their mandibles. Carrying is done almost entirely by the Intermediate and Small (the latter being the real coolies), and it is fascinating to watch them clearing ihe galleries, or making new chambers, running back and forth dumping pellets of mud on the circular mound surrounding the nest, for all the world like cargo coolies at work: but if any really heavy lift has to be-done I have often seen the soldiers helping. The Small coolies also have the job of milking aphids and acting as baby-amahs, so theirs is a busy life. The act of regurgitating food for the benefit of others is mainly performed by the Soldiers and Intermediates, and it seems to me that the coolies have to feed themselves. This is how it is done. An Intermediate steps in front of a Soldier and seems to say, "Any luck Boss?", whereupon the Soldier (if well-fed) says, "O.K. friend," and standing face to face proceeds to pump nourishment into him: the recipient wipes his mouth and runs off to resume work.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.