FOUNDING OF SLAVE-MAKING COMMUNES 



workers. She entered the light room, raided the cocoon 

 stores, and captured and transferred them, thirty-six 

 in all, to the dark room. Between trips she stopped 

 twice to attack and kill workers that ventured near. 



Now she retired to the dark chamber, and collected 

 her booty into a compact pile. This was not done with- 

 out some opposition, for two Subsericeas slipped by her, 

 deftly snatched up cocoons from the fringe of the pile, 

 and carried them back to their own quarters. Their 

 venture cost them dear, for Rubicunda in the end de- 

 tected them and slew them ruthlessly. She was highly 

 excited, and pranced vigorously about the floor that is, 

 she moved in a jerky way, taking a few steps in one 

 direction, then wheeling quite around, took a few steps 

 more, her antennae waving eagerly, and her whole body 

 seeming to throb with passion. 



By the next morning (8 A.M.) only two Subsericeas 

 remained; but they had managed to regain thirty co- 

 coons, which the survivors were guarding in a remote 

 corner of the light chamber, while Rubicunda stood guard 

 over a bunch of them in the dark chamber. Two and a 

 half hours thereafter she sallied forth and recaptured all 

 but six of the workers' cocoons, and added them to her 

 own store. However, she had not forgotten the scant 

 remainder, for soon she secured four more, and early in 

 the afternoon another was captured. 



The two workers wandered about forlornly, seemingly 

 dejected at their hard fate. One came into the dark 

 room and approached the queen, possibly to test her 

 willingness to come to terms; but she opened her mandi- 

 bles threateningly, and the peace ambassador fled. Dur- 

 ing the night this and one other survivor were killed, 



and the last cocoon was added to Rubicunda's collection, 



267 



