Animal Intelligence: The International Scientific Series, Vol. XLIV.Romanes, George John
Science
Animal Intelligence: The International Scientific Series, Vol. XLIV.
Romanes, George John
Animal behavior; Animal intelligence
The length of time during which sleep is prolonged
appears to vary according to circumstances and,
perhaps, organism. The large head-soldiers of the
Floridian harvesters appear to have a more sluggish
nature than the smaller workers. Their sleep is longer
and heavier. The former fact the watch readily
determined. The latter appeared from the greater
stolidity of the creatures under disturbance. While
the ants of one group are taking sleep others may be
busy at work, and these stalk among and over the
sleepers, jostling them quite vigorously at times.
Again, new members occasionally join the group, and,
in their desire to get close up to the heat and light,
crowd their drowsy comrades aside. I have seen ants
who had been at work in the galleries drop their
pellets, push thus into the cluster, and presently be
apparently sound asleep. This rough treatment is
invariably received with perfect good humour, as are
like jostlings when the ants are awake. I have never
seen the slightest display of anger or attempt to
resent disturbance even under these circumstances, so
peculiarly calculated to excite the utmost irritation
in men. But of course some of the sleepers are
aroused. They change position a little, or give
themselves a brief combing, and then resume their nap,
unless, indeed, they are satisfied. In watching these
movements it was quite evident that the Florida
soldiers were far less easily disturbed than their
smaller fellows. They slept on stolidly while all the
others were in agitation around them. Moreover, their
very appearance, particularly when awaking out of
sleep, indicated the greater sluggishness of their
temperament in this respect.
The ordinary duration of sleep MacCook takes to be about three hours.
Ants, like many other insects, are in the habit of cleaning themselves,
being, like them, provided by nature with combs and brushes, &c., for
the purpose. But, unlike other insects, several species of ants are also
in the habit of assisting each other in the performance of their toilet.
The author last quoted gives the following account of this process in
the genus _Atta_:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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