e cares
for the _Claviger_ because it is his property, a capital which brings
in interest in the shape of excellent sweet little drops which are
good to suck.[65]

[64] Ph. W. J. Mueller, "Beitraege zur Naturgeschichte der
Gattung _Claviger_," _Germer u. Zincken's Magaz. d.
Entomol._, iii., 1881, pp. 69-112.

[65] There is little doubt, however, that some species of
Aphides and allied Coccidae would be liable to extermination
if not protected by their ant masters. See, for instance,
Forel, _Bull. Soc. Vaud._, 1876. Mr. Cockerell in Jamaica
has noted an interesting Coccid, _Icerya rosae_, which is
protected by ants; "at the present moment some of these
_Iceryae_ are enjoying life, which would certainly have
perished at my hands but for the inconvenience presented by
the numbers of stinging ants."--_Nature_, 27th April 1893.
Mr. Romanes (_Nature_, 18th May 1893) quotes as follows from
a letter addressed to him by the Rev. W. G. Proudfoot:--"On
looking up I noticed that hundreds of large black ants were
going up and down the tree, and then I saw the aphides....
But what struck me most was that the aphides showered down
their excretions independently of the ants' solicitations,
while at other times I noticed that an ant would approach an
aphis without getting anything, and would then go to
another. I was struck with this, because I remembered Mr.
Darwin's inability to make the aphides yield their secretion
after many experiments. A large number of hornets were
flying about the tree, but seemed afraid of the ants; for
when they attempted to alight, an ant would at once rush to
the spot, and the hornet would get out of its way."

A yellow ant, who wishes to enjoy the result of the cares given to his
pensioner, approaches it and gently caresses it with his antennae; the
other shows signs of pleasure at this visit, and soon a pearly drop
appears on the tuft of hairs at the edge of its elytra, and this the
ant hastens to lick. The beetle is thus exploited and tickled by all
the members of the community to which he belongs who meet him on their
road. But when it has been milked two or three times it ceases to
secrete. A solicitous ant arriving at this moment finds its efforts in
vain, but still behaves like a good shepherd; it show