80 



BRANCH ARTHROPODA. 



FIG. 137. 



merit are far in advance of other invertebrate animals. 



An embryo colony of Ants con- 

 sists of one or several queens, 

 whose sole office is to perpet- 

 uate the species by laying eggs. 

 From early spring, until late 

 in the fall, these eggs produce 

 young. The young are without 

 wings, but are provided with 

 strong jaws, and do general 

 work, and in case of invasion, 

 are the fighters ; they are hence 

 soldiers." Finally, the eggs 



Female 



Male $ , and Worker of 

 Brown Ant. 



and 



called the "workers" 

 produced late in the 

 season, produce 

 winged males and 

 females, which leave 

 their homes in 

 swarms in the spring. 

 The males, however, 

 soon die, and the fe- 

 males descend to the 

 ground, tear off their 

 wings, and endeavor 

 either to establish 

 new colonies, or re- 

 turn to their birth- 

 place.* 



* Observation has shown 

 that many, if not all, Ants 

 have a language, though just 

 how they communicate their 

 ideas is not known. The 

 Honey Ants of the Rocky 

 Mountains, from Colorado to Mexico, are peculiar in that in times of -plenty some 



a, Egg. 6, Larva, c, Pupa of Ants, d, PonZ' ra gran' dis, 

 Giant Ant. F, Fdr'mica sanguin'Z a, Red Ant <?, 

 Myr mS'ci a forfi c*T ta. 27", Mu fil'la ceph a Id' tos. 



