298 



Margaret Holliday, 



the eg-g's. variiig- from two to three in eacli tubule. were normal and 

 mature and occnired usuall}' one to eacli tubule. 



The following- table sliows tlie Variation in the several forms. 



Form 



No. of ovaries 



No. of tubules oii 

 each side 



Of the eight individuals occurring under stones, four had the 

 r e e e p t a c u 1 u m s e m i n i s , well developed tubules and mature eggs. 

 The tubules varied in number just as in the other forms. Two were 

 ordinary workers without the receptaculum , but possessing large 

 tubules and mature eg-gs. The others died during- my absence from 

 the laboratory and were not dissected on that account. 



From these conditions it would seem that the Pachycondyla 

 workers with the receptaculum seminis can and do funetion 

 as queens. but whether or not there was always one or more such 

 workers in those nests not containing a queen was not determined 

 in every case unfortunately; but it was the condition where evei' 

 üoted. It would seem that the ovaries of the workers without the 

 receptaculum seminis are functional since the}" are so highly 

 developed, but proof is wanting. As the unfertilized eggs, in some 

 ants at least develope into males. this may be the explanation for 

 the large number of males existing in so many nests. Hei-e also in 

 every worker dissected the ovaries were not developed sufficiently 

 to be detected ; in fact nearly half of those dissected were in this 

 condition. 



