THE SAXGl'IXARY ANTS. 465 



morning wore away the female gradually became more and more 

 excited. By i P. M. she had killed five more workers and was busy 

 carrying the cocoons back from the illuminated into the dark chamber, 

 where she had already stored most of them in a corner. In a feu- 

 minutes she had secured all the cocoons in the light chamber, 36 in 

 number. She interrupted this task twice, each time for the purpose of 

 killing a worker that came within her reach. Finally she retired to 

 the dark chamber and began to collect the cocoons into a more compact 

 pile. Two of the workers persisted in stealing in and hurrying back 

 with a cocoon taken from the edge of the pile. The female soon per- 

 ceived this, however, and dispatched both of them. The whole per- 

 formance resembled a dulotic expedition in miniature, carried out by 

 a single virgin cmeen instead of by an army of rubicunda workers. In 

 killing the subscricca workers she was quite as ruthless as the workers 

 of her own species, but more sure on account of her larger size and . 

 greater strength. She exhibited very beautifully what may be called 

 the " prancing " movement, so characteristic of the females in this stage 

 of their activities. She moved in a jerky fashion, taking a few steps 

 in one direction, then turning her body and taking a few steps more. 

 July 9, 8 A. M., only two of the workers survived. They had regained 

 possession of 30 of their cocoons, however, and were guarding them in 

 a remote corner of the light chamber, while the female was watching 

 over the great bulk of the brood in a corner of the dark chamber. By 

 10.30 she had entered the light chamber, recaptured all but 6 of the 

 cocoons, carried them into the dark chamber and placed them on her 

 pile. The two workers were wandering about in a state of " abulic 

 dejection." At 11.30 one of them was seen to enter the dark chamber 

 and approach the female, but the latter opened her mandibles and the 

 worker fled. The female had stacked her cocoons in a compact heap 

 and was bent on defending them. Apparently she had not forgotten 

 the 6 cocoons still remaining in the light chamber. At any rate, she 

 secured 4 of them by 12 M. She took up her position on the pile, of 

 cocoons, and whenever light was admitted into the dark chamber, 

 opened her mandibles and went to prancing about as if looking for an 

 enemy. By 1.15 P. M. she had secured one of the remaining cocoons 

 in the light chamber. July 10, 6 A. M. In the night the female had 

 killed the two remaining workers and had taken their last cocoon. 

 Throughout the day she kept closely to the brood, prancing whenever 

 the light was admitted into the chamber and fiercely seizing a straw 

 or my finger whenever either was held near her. She seemed to dis- 

 play a much greater interest in the pupae than in the larvae. July 1 1 to 

 15 she remained in statu quo. Whenever the nest was uncovered she 



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