112 PSYCHE. [Seplembei-October iSSS. 



construction of the nests, second the always covered. These thoroughfares 



materials from which they gather their are of sufficient width to allow the in- 



buildino- supplies, and which consists of sects to pass freely at all points, and 



dead wood, palm leaves, boards, shin- upon breaking down an}' portion of a 



o-les, etc., etc., are much more abundant gallery they may be seen hurrying in 



in the Helds than elsewhere. In fact so both directions. 



universally are these situations chosen Whenever their passage ways are 



that I do not now remember ever hav- broken open some of the ants at once 



ing seen a nest in any other place, begin to repair it, and this brings me 



The nests, as related, are most often to the material used in building, and the 



placed in trees, generally low and near method of depositing it. Fibej-s, gath- 



the trunk, but I have occasionally seen ered from dead wood, leaves, etc., and 



them among the branches. I have also mixed with enough earth to give it a 



seen them on stumps and even on rocks, dark color form the principal portion 



although this support is rarely used. of their building material. How this 



In form, the nests are, as remarked, is applied, was for a long time, 



hive-shaped whenever the basal sup- a mystery to me, for although 1 had 



port is large, but if it be small the ants seen many hundred nests it was not 



will then build around it, producing until Dec. 19th of last year that I 



another hive-shaped structure with its chanced upon one of them upon which 



base upward which, resting against the visable labor was being performed. I 



base above, results in an oval-shaped was passing a nest that stood on the 



nest. vSometimes, owing to the situa- margin of a field on Andros, when, 



tion. irregularly formed nests are seen, attracted by its size, it being the largest 



but there is always a tendency to as- that I had ever seen, measuring six feet 



sume the hive shape. The nests are in height by four and a half in diameter, 



composed of various galleries about .30 I turned aside to examine it, and per- 



of a inch high and about the same ceived that a circular piece some six 



wndth, of varying length, opening into inches in diameter was being built on 



others in raanv directions, thus the one side. Something over two inches 



whole system forms an exceedingly of the outer margin of this portion had 



complicated labyrinth, the clew of been completed, leaving a circular hole 



which is difficult to find, but which ap- in the centre. On this portion the ants 



pears to be perfectly understood by the were at work, standing around the un- 



insects. From the nests to the ground finished margin as close together as 



and whenever the passages cross rocks, possible without interfering with one 



the surfaces of which are exposed, and another's movements. The workers are 



this frequently occurs even at a con- constantly changing, as one disappeared 



siderable distance from the nests, the another took its place. Upon appear- 



road ways by which the ants travel are ing each ant had its jaws filled with 



