62 Bulletin Wisconsin Natural History Society. [Vol. 9, Nos. 1-2. 



June 30: — A third worker adult emerged at about noon from the 

 cell adjoining- cell No. 1 on the north; the other two workers were 

 absent and during- the warm afternoon this third worker occupied 

 itself by occasionally twirling its wings as if to strengthen them for 

 flight. By 6. m. a fourth worker adult had emerged ; the first two 

 continue absent. The young larvae of cells fourteen, fifteeen and six- 

 teen have perished of starvation but the large larva; are still alive. 

 What is to become of this queenless nest? Clear and warm. 



July 1: — A fifth worker adult emerged at 3 p. m. and remained 

 on the nest, the others (third and fourth) being absent; apparently, 

 judging by their actions, these workers are not paying any attention 

 to the nest though they do examine the cells, but apparently from 

 curiosity. The fifth, newly emerged worker was still present at 7 :30 

 p. m., when it was occupied in strengthening its wings by twirling 

 them as in actual flight; this was done by hanging from the bottom 

 of the nest with the two posterior pairs of legs, then going through 

 the motions of actual flight. The four other workers remain absent 

 and were absent during the night and early the following morning. 



j u ly 2: — At 10:50 a. m. the fifth worker was observed going over 

 the cells of the nest in a manner similar to that followed by the queen ; 

 she was still alone and continued present, occasionally examining the 

 cells, until about 4:30 p. m., when she deserted, remaining away 

 through the night following. 



j u ly S: — The nest was deserted all day. The workers apparently 

 were ignorant of their functions in the absence of the queen. 



July 4: — All the larva? in the nest are now dead. 



July 5: — The worker adult from cell No. 6 emerged at 6 a. m. It 

 in turn disappeared after about twenty-four hours and the nest was 

 again deserted. Another nest in the same relative position in a closed 

 doorway, facing south, and of an age similar to this one, prospered 

 and by August 15 was large and thickly populated. The queen 

 remained present in this case. 



Summing up, the following significant facts were observed : 

 (1). In the immediate locality of the nest under direct observa- 

 tion, other nests were about the same age, hence in the same locality 

 the hibernated queens have a tendency to commence activity at about 

 the same time. 



(2.) All nests observed were under shelter. 



