Ants The New Naturalist Series no. 59.<br />First edition.

London: Collins, 1977. First edition 1977 (Primary binding variant). Hardback. 223pp. Green cloth boards. Dust jacket with publisher's Duraseal protector. Ants have always exercised a fascination that extends beyond the world of biology. They have attracted the attention of poets and dramatists and political theorists who have envied their apparent industry and complex communal organisation. The social life of ants is indeed extraordinary. It forms the basis of their entire lives; an ant on its own cannot survive. Ants are the only known group of insects in which there are no solitary species. In this book, Dr Brian, a leading authority on ants, brings together the results of research into the zoology, ecology and social life of the group. The author begins by discussing the relationships of ants to other insects, their anatomy and physiology, and then turns to the different species of British ant, feeding, aphid 'farming', and the specialised role of the workers in acting as travelling food containers for the nest, the complexities of the nest itself, the rearing of the young and the different caste systems, the ecological significance of ants, and the role they play in the lives of other animals. Particular attention is paid to the importance of communication in the ant society. 16 plates of black & white photographs and 2 colour plates. Jacket design by Clifford and Rosemary Ellis. Book in fine condition. Printed bookplate of the late Peter Conder (ornithologist and Director of RSPB) to front free endpaper. Dust jacket near fine. Unclipped. Slight colour fade to spine. A very pleasing copy.