It is only the worker ants of any species who are taken away by others, whilst still immature, to be afterwards hatched out as slaves, for they alone would be of use. Both ants and bees, as is well known, are divided into three different sets or castes, the males, the perfect females, who become queens and are the founders of the community, and the immature females or workers, who are the most interesting of the three, and by whom the whole work of the hive or nest is carried on. One of the most extraordinary of all ants—and therefore of all insects—is the honey-ant of Mexico (with some adjoining regions) and Australia. Amongst these, a certain section of the community take the place of aphidæ amongst other ants. They live but to distribute honey to the rest, and by reason of this, and the remarkable way in which their purpose is accomplished, may be said to be living honey-pots. In the first place, they are themselves fed with honey by the workers, who swallow it and bring it up from their stomachs in the way in which a pigeon brings up food for its young—a process which is called “regurgitation.” During this process the abdomen of the honey-bearers begins to swell, and by degrees becomes quite globular, and of such a disproportionate size to the rest of the body that the latter projects from it like a piece of stick, and is raised high above the ground. When thus fully distended it is difficult for the insect to walk—a feat which it can only accomplish sideways—but it has, as a rule, no necessity to do so, and only clings motionless to the vaulted roof of the cell or chamber in which it is enclosed. This is of a roughly circular shape, about three inches across, and an inch or three-quarters of an inch in height. It is called the honey-chamber, and in it a number of these honey-bearers reside—if they may not rather be said to be stored—hanging closely together, and looking like a bunch of currants or small amber-coloured grapes—for their abdomens are transparent, so that the honey shows through them. It used to be thought that these ants had no stomachs, so that the abdomen itself made the jar for the honey. This, however, is a mistake. The honey on being swallowed, is received into the stomach, and this by swelling inordinately, causes the abdomen to swell too. It is interesting that whilst the floors of these honey-chambers are quite smooth, the roof is rough, so that the ants, fixing their feet upon the granulated surface, can cling there more securely. We need not suppose, however, that the ants produce this result purposely, for it is by their constantly walking over the floors of the chambers that they become smooth and polished. Here, then, we have the honey-jars. The workers when they are hungry come to them, and lifting their mouths up to the mouth of the jars, the honey from the latter is poured—or regurgitated—into them. In doing this the honey-bearing ant—or, as she is often called, from the shape of her