THE HABITS OF ANTS IN GENERAL. 



189 



above cited observation of Lincecum on the Texan harvester. I ar- 

 rived at Needles, California, May 23, a day or two after the nuptial 

 flight of P. californicits. This was proved by the thousands of isolated 

 females of this species, in the act of establishing their formicaries. 

 The country in which I observed them was the sandy bottom on the 



FIG. 105. Caniponotits pennsylvanicus queen with incipient colony in abandoned 

 cocoon of Rhagiinn Uncut nni under pine bark, slightly enlarged. (Original.; 



right bank of the Colorado River and the adjacent low escarpment of 

 the desert. The latter is interrupted by numerous short " draws," 

 which are more or less sandy like the river bottom into which they 

 open. The surface of the escarpment, however, is very hard and 

 stony, but it, too, is furrowed by very small draws, often only a few 

 inches wide and containing sand washed from the surrounding sur- 

 faces by the winter showers. After their nuptial flight myriads of 

 Pogonomyrmex females had rained down over the whole hot, dry 

 country for a distance of at least three miles to the south and as many 

 to the west of the Needles. After losing her wings, each female sought 

 out the regions of pure sand, avoiding the hard surfaces, and set to 

 work digging a hole. The earth was brought out to one side of the 



