1879.] NATURAL SCIENCES OP PHILADELPHIA. 157 



ant remained above the surface. The pellet was removed, and 

 the jar thoroughly aired; whereupon the ants speedily began to 

 reappear. They seemed to be confused somewhat by the fumes 

 of the cologne, but soon began to dig galleries. Only two pairs 

 resumed the fight, and these shortly unclasped mandibles. There 

 was no resumption of hostilities thereafter, and the two parties 

 appeared to interblend and fraternize completely. 



In the second jar (No. 2), the one exhibited, the ants were left 

 undisturbed. The battle continued for two days. It was waged 

 over the entire surface of the earth within the jar. Ever} clod 

 and other elevation was the seat of one or more duels, for, as a 

 general rule, the fight was waged by twos, but also frequently by 

 threes. The duelists seized each other by the head, frequently 

 interclasping mandibles, and pulling backward or swaying back 

 and forth. Again, one would have her antagonist grasped by the 

 face above the mandibles, which placed the latter at a great dis- 

 advantage. In such cases, and in others also, both ants would be 

 reared upon the hind and middle legs, with abdomens turned un- 

 der, and stinging organs thrust out. When three ants were bat- 

 tling in one group, the third commonly held her opponent by a 

 leg, or had seized her by the abdomen or thorax. Occasionally 

 the exertions of the combatants caused them to roll upon the 

 ground. 



At the close of the first day, numbers had retired from the 

 conflict and perched upon the sides of the jar. On the third day 

 the battle had ceased, and the ants were engaged in excavating 

 galleries. Whether the survivors were all of one party could not 

 be determined, except inferentially by the following experiment. 



The jar which had been fumed with cologne (No. 1) was intro- 

 duced into jar No. 2, which was large enough to admit it. The 

 ants in No. 1, who had been hostile, were then working together 

 harmoniously. The}', in turn, soon interblended with those in 

 No. 2, all thus composing one apparently united formicary. It 

 thus appears, whatever may have been the cause of the combat, 

 that, first, the influence of the cologne fumes completely pacified 

 and united the contending parties; and, second, that the previous 

 hostility was no barrier to their forming one harmonious nest. 

 Subsequently the jar was placed uncovered in the open air and 

 was abandoned by all but a few of the ants within two days; 



There were many dead bodies, which were gathered in one large 

 heap, that each day was increased by the death of the (probably) 

 injured. This "graveyard" was subsequently changed to another 

 spot, but the dead were kept together as they now are. 



In at least one case noted the cause of the ant battle seemed 

 quite clear. The warring insects were spread thickly over a sur- 

 face of nearly a square foot of the sidewalk, quite near the curb- 

 stone. The centre of this struggling mass was a quantity of fatty 

 matter which had been thrown on and around the seams of the 



