171 



bending and extending the limbs, moving and twisting the head and 

 abdomen, they seem to induce a revival to a more active state of life, 

 and in due course the subject of their attentions makes a few spasmodic 

 struggles and staggers away with trembling steps to carry on the 

 special duties of the life to which it is born. 



In the pupa stage the Queens appear to receive more attention 

 than the worker form, bu.t no es2')ecial or royal honours appear to be 

 paid to them after becoming mature, until they have commenced the 

 duties of maternity. The annual flight is probably in part originated 

 by the want of food and not to celebrate their Queen's Birthday, for 

 it has been found in our artiiicial nests that when numbers of the 

 winged males and females are present the supply of fungus food soon 

 becomes exhausted, and if left to themselves they take to flight. If, 

 however, sufficient food is supplied, (which can be obtained from 

 other nests where no winged form is allowed to develop), the winged 

 forms remain in the nest until the next season. At the time of 

 Avriting we have an unfertilized Queen which has been kept in this 

 manner since last year.* 



While in the nest, the winged forms, male and female, appear to 

 do nothing but eat, day and night from the time of birth until the 

 time of flight, and if examined, they will at all times be found dis- 

 tended with food. This is probably a provision of Nature to enable 

 them to sustain the long fast they have to endure during the time of 

 the annual flight, the swarming, or honeymoon period, for it is fairly 

 certain that they cannot obtain when abroad, anything that will 

 serve as a substitute for the under ground fungus on which they 

 naturally feed. 



Although there is no certainty about the matter, it is supposed 

 that, after the necessary marital relations have been completed and 

 the Queen has lost her wings, she seeks for, and takes possession of, a 

 suitable spot in which to found a nest, and the larvre she hatches 

 arc supposed to be fed on re-gurgitated food, the supply being laid 

 up by her as we have previously seen, before leaving the home in 

 which she Avas born. I have been particular in giving this only as a 

 supposition, but any one who will undertake to study what are really 

 the methods adopted by newly fertilized Queens to found a colony 

 will be doing a great service to the cause of Natural History, and 

 also to that of Tropical Agricultural Economy. 



* This insect is since dead, hid (ift> r datth the bodi/ was ahvays attended lit a 

 numerous retinue and allowed to remain in the nest — 7rh>le the bodies of all other forms 

 that mail die in the nest, are itnmediatehj carried outside. 



