-442 



ANTS. 



workers are reddish-yellow and of about the same size as the consocians 

 queen. I naturally inferred that the mixed colonies must owe their 

 origin to the adoption of consocians queens by incerta workers. A 

 number of experiments were performed, which left no doubt concern- 

 ing the correctness of this inference. The account of one of these 

 experiments may be repeated here: 



July 21, 4.30 P. M., an artificially dealated consocians female was 

 placed in a nest with twenty incerta workers and several worker 



FIG. 262. Formica microgytia. (Original.) a, Dealated female; b, large worker 

 drawn to same scale : c, head of worker ; d. petiole of same from behind ; e, petiole 

 of female. 



cocoons taken from one of the most vigorous colonies found during 

 the entire summer. The workers were unusually large and more like 

 the workers of pure schaufussi, but with the coloration and pilosity of 

 incerta. The female seemed disinclined to approach the workers, 

 which were brooding over their cocoons, but she moved towards them 

 when the illumination of the chamber was reversed. She was at once 

 seized by a worker and showered with formic acid. She escaped to a 



