Dec, igii.] Wheeler: Fungus-Growing Ants from Texas. 255 



racemose t\'pe, I give two figures, one in a plane perpendicular to 

 the other. It was the most singular nest examined. Ch. II had 

 coming off from it Gals. 3, 4 and 5. The shape of the chambers was 

 peculiar in that their long axes were oblique (Ch. Ill) or more or 

 less vertical (Ch. Ill, V and VI). Ch. V extended down to a depth 

 of 25.5 cm. (10 in.). Very little fungus was found and not more 

 than fifty workers. The gardens were evidently worn out. Several 

 winged forms appeared and a few larvse and pupte were taken from 

 Ch. IV and V. It is probable that I missed a chamber somewhere 

 below Ch. V. 



"Nest 7. — (July 20.) Undoubtedly a nest of the racemose type. 

 I could not, however, satisfy myself in regard to the relations of Ch. 

 Ill and IV to the remainder of the nest. Ch. I contained a few ants 

 but no fungus gardens. Two mother queens came up into this chamber 

 after I had begun to excavate. The workers, too, seemed anxious to 

 get away. Gal. i was 6 mm. (^ in.) in diameter. Ch. II and III 

 were full of dark colored fungus-gardens. Ch. IV contained a normal 

 garden and brood, and in Ch. V there was a little fungus piled high 

 and full of white pupas. The ants had done no excavating between 

 July 8 and July 20. 



"Nest 8. — (July 22.) The crater a of the figure was recognized 

 as that of a Trachyniyrniex nest and on digging under it I came upon 

 Ch. c and d, which evidently belonged to an abandoned nest. Con- 

 tinuing the excavation with care, I found a small chamber 13 mm. 

 (y? in.) in diameter and about 18 cm. (7 in.) below the surface. It 

 contained a small fungus-garden, a mother queen and five or six 

 workers. The latter were light colored and evidently young. There 

 were also several pupx. I believe that this must have been an in- 

 cipient nest and the queen therefore young and recently fecundated. 



"Nest Q. — (August 29.) Excavated on a morning after a gener- 

 ous rain the day before. Several ants were seen near the entrance. 

 The soil had been moistened by the rain to a depth of 13 cm. (5 in.) ; 

 lower down it looked very dry but felt slightly moist and cool, 

 although it was not wet enough to " ball up " when squeezed in the 

 hand. Ch. I contained a few' workers and Gal. 2 was full of them 

 and of a rather old-looking fungus-garden. Ch. II contained a flour- 

 ishing garden suspended from the ceiling but was not of the bright 

 color seen in gardens unearthed during the spring. A few pupae and 

 several light-colored workers were observed." 



