PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



[Jan., 



This reduction of the 7th segment in part accounts for the strong 

 downward flexure of the abdomen. In addition, the caudal notch 

 is very wide and deep, with a semicircular outline, and extends over 

 fully one-half of the posterior border of the segment, The sting is 

 also slightly abnormal, having a kink about midway of its length. 



Fig. 1. — A, B, and C, dorsal, lateral, and ventral views of abdomen of abnormal 

 queen. D, abdomen of normal queen, ventral view. X 5. 



An examination of the internal organs showed other and more 

 fundamental peculiarities. The poison glands, poison sac and 

 spermatotheca (fig. 2 A) in their size and structure display no apparent 

 abnormalities. The spermatotheca was empty, indicating that the 

 queen was a virgin. The digestive tract also seemed to be normal. 

 The sex organs, however, were strikingly modified. The left ovary 

 (fig. 2 A and B), together with its duct, was entirely wanting. The 

 right oviduct (fig. 2 B, OvD) was present, but compressed in a dorso- 

 ventral direction, and bent in the sagittal plane into a sigmoid curve. 



