24 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OE* [1881. 



rock upon it I named Eagle-head ridge, and the nest Eagle-head 

 nest. At T.30 P. M., the sun was set, and darkness had begun to 

 gather. A few ants appeared within the gate. They advanced 

 to the top, followed by others ; they puslied out upon the gravelled 

 sides of the mound, over which a goodly swarm of yellow insects 

 was soon gathered. There were no rotunds or semi-rotunds among 

 these mustering squadrons ; all were workers, with normal abdo- 

 mens. 



Presently an ant left the mound and started over the ridge 

 northward. Another — several — a score followed, until within a 

 brief time a vast column was seen trailed along the ridge, all 

 moving in the same direction. The evening had now become so 

 far advanced that it was ditBcult to trace the column, but b}'^ 

 stooping down close to the earth and using care not to alarm the 

 ants, I was able to do so. The trail was somewhat winding, but 

 on the whole seemed to be chosen with some regard to avoiding 

 the inequalities of the ridge. I was not impressed, however, 

 with the engineering skill of the insects in this matter. 



At the distance of about fifty feet from the nest, the column 

 turned down the slope and entered a copse of scrub oak ( Quercus 

 undidata, var.), I traced a number of ants to a bush several feet 

 within the thicket, but failed to unravel the secret that night. 

 The next night a similar experience awaited me. After a long 

 careful, but vain search, I retired to my tent baffled. The third 

 night (July 29), the ants of Eagle head next came out at 7.23 

 P. M. Those on Toad-stone ridge, to which I had assigned my 

 assistant, Johnson, came out at 1.25 P. M., but did not begin to 

 move until 7.44. Johnson followed them, but failed to find their 

 feeding ground. They moved north and eastward, as did those 

 of the Eagle head. These latter began to move almost as soon 

 as they came out. Thej^ followed the same trail as on the previous 

 evening, the track having beem marked by me. The movement 

 was somewhat slower than before, perhaps because the trail had 

 been washed by a heavy rain during the afternoon. There was no 

 leader. A dwarf worker kept in advance over the greater part of 

 the track, then a worker minor took the head of the column. 

 The two were separated from each other, and the van of the 

 column about eight to ten inches. There was, however, not the 

 slightest evidence of any leadership at any time, in any part of 

 the moving line, although I carefully looked for such. 



