254 Journal New York Entomological Society. ['^'o'- ^i^- 



sand here was very shallow and underlain by tough, red clay. As 

 the ants did not, so far as I observed, excavate in the clay, they 

 contented themselves with making a few large chambers near the 

 surface. Nest l was 13 cm. (5 in.), nest 2, 15-l-cm. (6 in.) deep. 

 Each chamber of these nests was filled with a flourishing fungus- 

 garden. The number of ants in each colony seemed to be below the 

 average. 



"Nest J. — (About the middle of June.) This nest was excavated 

 in deeper sand (2 ft. to red clay) than nests i and 2, and was found 

 near nest 5, the deepest of all. Perhaps I missed the lowermost 

 chamber. The uppermost was only 13 mm. (3/2 in.) below the sur- 

 face, the lowermost 20.5 cm (8 in.). Ch. I contained dried, yellow 

 remains of a fungus garden; Ch. II and Ch. Ill splendid gardens, 

 all suspended from the ceiling by rootlets left for the purpose. Both 

 Ch. II and Ch. Ill were used as brood chambers, especially Ch. Ill 

 which was almost choked with fungus, workers, males, winged females 

 and young in all stages. The exact number of individuals taken was 

 as follows: 376 workers, 92 mature males and females, 215 pupae. 

 There were also many larvae, mostly large and well developed. The 

 crater of this nest was not of the crescentic form, but was merely a 

 conical pile of sand situated several inches to one side of the entrance. 

 "Nest 4. — (May 31.) This nest had a low crater in the form of a 

 perfect circle around the entrance as shown in the figure. The en- 

 trance, as usual, was concealed under leaves and other debris. The 

 workers were carrying in caterpillar excrement. Fungus-gardens 

 were found in all the chambers . 



"Nest 5. — (Middle of June.) This was the deepest nest found, 

 Ch. VI being 66 cm. (26 in.) below the surface of the sand. The 

 chambers were of the vertically flattened type except Ch. \T which 

 was spherical (comp. nests 3, 5, 6 and 7). Ch. V had an accessory 

 pocket on one side, probably due to the unfinished excavation of the 

 roof of the chamber. Gal. 2a, could be plainly followed but Gal. 

 2b and 3 only in part. My notes state that I was tolerably certain 

 of the courses of Gal. 3 but not of 2b. It would seem that the ants 

 must have had more use for Gal. 26 than for Gal. 3. A fungus- 

 garden was found in each of the chambers. The sand was very damp 

 below. 



"Nest 6. — (June 26.) Of this nest, which was of the compound 



