52 HAROLD HEATH. 



on in alternation, the final result being the reduction within a few 

 hours of one, often both antennae, to more or less of a stump-like 

 condition. This operation does not prevent the royal pair from 

 making their way about nor from finding their way back to their 

 cell if removed from it for a distance of several inches. In fact 

 the mutilation in no visible way affects their existence, and it is 

 difficult to imagine of what service it is. 



Upwards of a week later than this --that is almost a fortnight 

 after swarming I have on several occasions seen the royal pair 

 of Tennopsis in coitu. With their bodies closely appressed end 

 to end in a straight line they remain from one to ten minutes in 

 contact, after which they separate without any external indications 

 that the process had taken place. Several times from a few days 

 to many months later than this I have witnessed the same pro- 

 cess in various colonies. With one pair kept in captivity this 

 occurred at least a dozen times during eleven months and prob- 

 ably happened more frequently, though in a fairly high tem- 

 perature (from 20-24 C.), such as is developed by placing them 

 in close proximity to a lamp, this appears to be a much more fre- 

 quent occurrence than in their normal cool moist habitat. 



The swarming of Calotcnncs takes place in January and is quite 

 similar to that of Tennopsis as is the pairing process. Owing to 

 the fact that I have had but one colony at a time new colonies 

 were not established, but the males and females of the same com- 

 munity not only paired as though more distantly related, but 

 mated and laid eggs. These were non-fertile, however, and soon 

 grew white and disintegrated. Calotcnncs is rather difficult to 

 keep in captivity, but some of these royal pairs lived for nearly 

 five months and assumed almost exactly the size and appearance 

 of the true royal progenitors of the original colony (Fig. i) 

 which were present in each of the two nests. 



Tcnncs Incifngits swarms at different times between the months 

 of October and April. I have watched it more than a score of 

 times and can confirm Grassi's observations in all essential partic- 

 ulars. It usually takes place about I i A. M. and lasts nearly 

 two hours. During its occurrence a few birds make their ap- 

 pearance and they, together with lizards (Sceloporus) and Formica 

 rufa, reduce the size of the swarm somewhat though not seriously. 



