162 LIFE STORIES OF AUSTRALIAN INSECTS. 



ill the tree trunks, and dragging the small beetles 

 off the twigs by main force." They are found on 

 the North Coast of Queensland and in New Guinea. 

 They are tropical ants and are also found in India 

 and Africa. 



Slave Making Ants. 



These are interesting ants and are often called 

 "Amazons." The true Amazons are almost incapa- 

 ble of living without slaves, while others can manage 

 for themselves should no slaves be available. 

 Wheeler thus sums up the work of Huber and Forel 

 on the Amazon Polyergiis rufesccns. *'Tlie mandi- 

 bles are not adapted for digging in the earth or for 

 handling the thin-skinned larvae or pupae and mov- 

 ing them about in the narrow chambers of the nest;: 

 but are admirably fitted for piercing the armour of, 

 adult ants. We find, therefore, that the Amazons, 

 never excavate nests nor care for their own young; 

 They are even incapable of obtaining their own food, 

 although they may lap up water or liquid food when 

 it happens to come in contact with their shorl 

 tongues. For the essentials of food, lodging and 

 education they are wholly dependent on the slaves 

 hatched from the worker cocoons that they have 

 pillaged from other colonies. Apart from these 

 slaves they are quite unable to live, and hence are" 

 always found in mixed colonies inhabiting nests 

 whose architecture throughout is that of the slave 

 species. Thus the Amazons display two contrasting 

 sets of instincts. While in the home nest they sit 

 about in stolid idleness, or pass the long hours 



