( Ixxvi ) 



without apparent cause, until only two svirvivors remained, 

 but as these were in excellent condition and extremely active, 

 it may have been that they attacked one another. The two 

 survivors were transferred to a flower-pot, 31st May, 1906, 

 where they made a new hole and lived in it until the 12th 

 June, during which time they were taken a long railway 

 journey. During this time they certainly did not come out 

 to feed as the shaking caused the hole to become stopped up. 

 On the 12th June, 1906, the pot was turned out and the ants 

 found at some depth and in good condition. It is to be noted 

 that the black queens if supplied with damp earth and a flat 

 potsherd or two, will always burrow out hiding-places, turning 

 out the earth in little pellets as the working ants do, and some- 

 times carrying some of it a little distance away. 



" On 12th June, 1906, I arranged a thin layer of earth 

 covered by two bits of broken flower-pot a few inches square 

 in the box they formerly occupied, and under this they at once 

 made a new nest. The little mound of earth was kept damp 

 from time to time. 



" The nest was left alone and seldom looked into, until 11th 

 September, 1906, when on taking off the cover I saw at least 

 two workers had been born. 



" On the following day two ants were out thoroughly 

 examining every part of the box. They did not appear 

 very anxious for food, but attacked a newly killed fly and 

 dragged it towards the nest, and have since (14th §ept.) spent 

 a good deal of time round it. 



" From the foregoing it is clear that a fertile black queen is 

 able to start a new nest of her own without the assistance of 

 other ants, and that she will do so under favourable circum- 

 stances about the end of the first year after flight. 



"The difficulty a wild queen would find in discovering a 

 hiding-place not too wet or too dry, and not already tenanted 

 by hostile ants, is much greater than might be supposed, 

 because the runs of each existing nest are very extensive. 



"In one country house at least three-quarters of the whole 

 area of about an acre I found to be occupied by three nests, 

 and in a town house with not much garden three separate 

 nests occupied the sides of the house, and still another hostile 



