1906] Wheeler, Founding of Colonies by Queen Ants. 5 i 



into the air. That this was approximately the date for the nuptial 

 flight for some of the colonies during 1905 was also shown by an obser- 

 vation on a wild colony oi F. incerta-consocians found July 22 under 

 a stone fully half a mile from any locality in which I had previously 

 seen consocians colonies. This colony consisted of some fifty incerta 

 workers, about a dozen callows and a number of worker cocoons. The 

 most careful search failed to reveal a female of this species, but instead 

 there was a fine dealated female of consocians that must have been 

 very recently adopted. As all the cases of a similar character recorded 

 in my former paper ^ were found later in the summer, and as males 

 had been found as late as Aug. 12 during 1901, I conclude that the 

 season of 1905 was unusually far advanced. In all probability the 

 nuptial flight commonly takes place somewhat later, perhaps during 

 the last days of July or the first days of August. 



While the observations recorded in my former paper leave little 

 doubt that F. incerta is the normal temporary host of F. consocians, 

 they do not, of course, exclude the possibility of other species assuming 

 this role under certain conditions or in certain localities. To test this 

 matter I introduced artificially dealated females of consocians into small 

 colonies of workers belonging to different species of Formica. The 

 results, which, with a single exception, were all negative, may be briefly 

 stated. 



Experiment i. Aug. 10, 6 p.m. A female consocians was placed in a nest 

 with 40 workers of F. subpolita var. neogagates . Several of the latter at once 

 seized her by the legs and antennae, dragged her about, and although they 

 were individually inferior in stature, succeeded in killing her by the following 

 morning. A similar experiment with a smaller colony of neogagates workers gave 

 the same result. 



Experiment 2. July 6. A female consocians introduced into a small col- 

 ony of F . subsericea workers was dispatched by a single large worker as soon 

 as she was encountered. 



Experiment j. July 10. A female consocians placed in a nest containing 

 a few medium sized workers from a young colony of F. exsectoides was at once 

 seized by one of the workers. She managed to get the worker's fore leg be- 

 tween her mandibles and pinched it till she was released. She then ran fran- 

 tically about the nest, trying to escape, but was at once seized by another 

 worker, that proceeded to saw off her head. This was not quite accomplished, 

 but the female died on being released a few minutes later. 



Experiment 4. July 11, 11.30 a.m. Placed successively two consocians 

 females in a nest containing 1 7 workers of the typical F. schaiifussi and several 

 worker pupae. The first female was at once attacked and killed by a worker 



' A New Type of Social Parasitism among Ants. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., Vol. XX, Oct.. 

 IQ04, pp. 3SO, et seq. 



