32 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1881. 



large colony, taking ni}' observations as a standard, will not exceed 

 six hundred, which, counting six grains of honej^ to the ant, would 

 be little more than one-half pound avoirdupois. Besides, the senti- 

 ment against the use of honey thus taken from living insects, 

 which is worthy of all respect, would not be overcome. The 

 Mexicans and Indians will therefore probably not be disturbed in 

 their monopoly of the honey-product of the nests of Melliger. 



YI. Interior Architecture. 



Gate Architecture. — In order to determine the gate archi- 

 tecture — a term by which I characterize the structure of the nest 

 nearest to the entrance — several formicaries were carefully opened 

 and studied. Four of these are here given as fair types of all. It 

 will be seen from these that a general similarit}- of plan prevails. 

 The gate itself is a single tubular opening in the centre of the 

 mound, from three-fourths to seven-eighths of an inch in diameter. 

 It is smooth within, and penetrates the mound and the earth perpen- 

 dicularly to a depth varying from three and one-half to six inches. 

 This gate is funnel-shaped at the top, and the funnel (PI. lY , fig, 14, 

 F) is gravel-lined, differing therein from the lower part or nozzle of 

 the gate (fig. 18, !N"). The nozgle descends perpendicularlj^, or with 

 a slight slope, for three inches, more or less, and then deflects at 

 an angle more or less abrupt, forming an arm (A) usually shorter 

 than the nozzle. This leads into a series of radiating galleries 

 and rooms, and the point of deflection may be called the vestibule, 

 Y. These galleries and rooms appear to extend quite habituallj^ 

 beneath and chiefl}'^ in 'one direction from the gate. There are 

 indeed galleries immediately surrounding the gate on every side ; 

 but these appear to be limited except in the one direction, within a 

 radius of about eight to ten inches, and to the same distance in 

 depth. 



These general statements may be illustrated and expanded by 

 the following details of particular nests. 



1. Nest No. 7, fig. 19, was a small nest three and one-third 

 inches in diameter. The gate had a perpendicular depth from the 

 surface of three inches. Thence at nearly a right angle it bent 

 south-east for two and one-half inches, forming the arm, A, and 

 meeting at Y a series of branching galleries, a, 6, e, d. Galler}^ a, 

 bore westward, terminating under the gate ; 6, bore southwest, 

 appearing to run upward toward the surface ; c, extended down- 



