OKIGIN OF QUEENS. 41 



bees, and in another in that of ants. It is also a strong 

 argument that in none of my nests, though thousands 

 of workers and males have been produced, have I ever 

 observed a queen to be so until tbis year. On the 

 whole, then, though I differ from so excellent a naturalist 

 with much hesitation, I cannot but think that ants, 

 like bees, possess the power of developing a given egg 

 into either a queen or a worker. 



I have already mentioned that the previous views 

 as to the duration of life of ants turn out to be quite 

 erroneous. It was the general opinion that they lived 

 for a single year. I have, however, now in my posses- 

 sion two queens, which I have had under observation 

 ever since the year 1874. They must now (December 

 1881) therefore be more than seven, and are probably 

 more than eight years old. They seem in perfect 

 health, and in 1881 laid fertile eggs, a fact which 

 suggests ph}- siological conclusions of great interest. 



I have, moreover, little doubt that some of the 

 workers now in this nest were among those originally 

 captured, the mortality after the first few weeks having 

 been but small. This, however, I cannot prove. 



A nest of F. sanguinea, which M. Forel kindly 

 forwarded to me on September 12, 1875 (but which 

 contained no queen), gradually diminished in numbers, 

 until in February 1879 it was reduced to two F. san- 

 giiineas and one slave. The latter died in February 

 1880. One of the two mistresses died between May 

 10 and May 16, 1880, and the other only survived her 



