326 RESEARCH SEMINAR. 



larvas of Diplosis rcsinicola in July, twenty transforming in one 

 Diplosis larval skin. 



2. Two Clialcis flies ; one a species of Syntasis, described now 

 for the first time as Syntasis diplosidis, the second as yet unde- 

 termined. They destroy many pupae of Diplosis rcsijiicola in 

 early August. 



August 26. On the Artificial Creation of Mixed Nests of 

 Ants. By ADELE M. FIELDE. 



Natural mixed nests of ants have been described, but such 

 nests are always of ants belonging to the same subfamily, and 

 not more than two species of ants ever inhabit the same nest. 



There are two ways in which an artificial mixed nest may be 

 created ; one is by depriving all its residents of the sense of 

 smell by removing the funicles of the antennas ; the other is by 

 accustoming all the resident ants from their earliest hours to the 

 odor of each kind of ant that is to occupy the artificial nest. If 

 a nest not larger than a watch-glass be made, and one or more 

 ants from each selected colony be sequestered in this nest, within 

 twelve hours from the moment of hatching, these ants will each 

 touch all the others with the antennas and will thus become ac- 

 customed to and unafraid of the odor of species unlike their own. 



An ant reared in isolation will not affiliate with any whose odor 

 differs from its own. Its criterion of correct ant-odor having 

 been formed within three days after hatching, it continues hostile 

 through life to all ants whose odor disagrees with its standard. 

 But by the process of ant-education herein indicated, any ant 

 may be induced to live peacefully with those of a different genus, 

 or even of another subfamily. 



Several artificial nests were shown in which ants of four genera, 

 or of all the three subfamilies, were living together, and in which 

 young ants of onegenus were snuggling the queen of another genus. 



Were the ants in the artificial nests set free, their unlike re- 

 quirements relating to temperature, humidity and food would 

 soon separate them ; but it is improbable that these individual ants 

 would ever fight with one another on subsequently meeting, 

 although any of them would fight with ants of other colonies 

 than those in which their early companions originated. 



