276 HENRY C. MCCOOK. 



what appeared anxiety to break away without parting with any of 

 the precious treasure. The pensioners would occasionally solicit with 

 their antennae. Once at least the replete was seized rather vigorously. 

 After the feeding, the repletes dashed into the galleries and disap- 

 peared through the mass of legs, heads and black abdomens of ants, 

 all stationary and apparently engaged as above. Although the peculiar 

 position of the fallow ants under these observations prevented me from 

 seeing the actual process of regurgitation, yet in the case of other ants 

 imprisoned in glass jars I have seen the passing of the honey-dew from 

 the mouth of one insect to that of the other. 



The repletes that passed down the tree without being arrested, were 

 generally met beyond by the pensioners. Removing the flat stones 

 around the roots, I found the insects engaged as above. • The under 

 surface of these stones seemed to be a sort of commissary stations. 

 I covered over one cavity, made by the removal of a stone; in which 

 I had surprised a number of ants, expecting thus to re-establish a 

 i'eeding station. It happened as I had hoped. Presently lifting the 

 stone a little, I surprised a pensioner drawing his rations, and others 

 scrambling away as though disturbed. 



The above facts were confirmed by numerous observations, at 

 various points. 



I have frequently seen the Pennsylvania Carpenter Ants, Campo- 

 iiotus {Formica) Penm-ylvonica, occupied in the same manner. In 

 one case the exchange seemed to be between occasional workers, and 

 members ot" the "bodyguard" which constantly surrounded the fertile 

 queen of a small colony under observation in a box. Other ants have 

 the same habit, but the main significance of the behaviour above 

 described is in the view which it gives of the public economy of 

 the ant republic. It exhibits a concerted, systematic and general 

 movement which has very much the appearance of an acknowledged 

 division of labor. Those members of the community engaged in the 

 work of building and protecting the formicary, really appear to leave 

 the collecting of food to others of their fellow-citizens, not only for 

 the helpless and dependent inmates of the nest, but also for them- 

 selves. Content with satisfying the simple wants of nature, that they 

 iiiay have strength to toil, they leave their work at stated periods, and 

 visit the feeding grounds to obtain iood from the super-abundance of 

 the repletes. The stations are chosen for this purpose with admirable 

 wisdom, for, as many of the foragers really seem to overload them- 

 selves, their progress homeward is doubtless facilitated by yielding 



