1906.] WJieeler, Founding of Colonies by Queen Ants. 55 



experiment, only one of the females still retained wings and all of them were 

 busy licking the workers and being fed by them. These females no longer 

 visited the manger. All of the females used in this experiment were sisters 

 taken from the same wild colony. 



Experiment No. 8. July 6, 5 p.m. Four dealated consocians females (Nos. 

 I, 2, 3, and 4) were introduced into a nest containing a dozen incerta workers 

 and many larvae and pupae taken from a flourishing wild colony. These females 

 at once ascended the brood-pile, begged for food, and commenced licking the 

 incerta workers. In the evening one of the females was seen to attack another 

 and drag her around the nest. July 7, 8 a.m. Three of the consocians (Nos. 

 I, 2, and 3) were dead and had been deposited in the light chamber. The 

 fourth was living' peaceably with the incerta. Two more females (Nos. 5 and 6) 

 were placed in the light chamber. As soon as they entered the dark chamber 

 and attempted to ascend the brood-pile they were attacked by female No. 4 

 and so persistently persecuted that they fled to the light chamber, leaving their 

 irate sister in full possession of the incerta colony. The two banished females 

 returned to the dark chamber but were again driven out. Meanwhile the 

 incerta workers remained quite indifferent to these bickerings and kept 

 nursing their larvae and cocoons. Females Nos. 5 and 6 were again returned to 

 the dark chamber and the entrance was closed with earth. No. 4 now attacked 

 No. 5 and bit her thorax so severely that she was injured and kept dropping on 

 her knees when she tried to walk. Then No. 4 began to drive No. 6 around the 

 nest, tweaking her legs and antennae and trying to cut off her head till she 

 managed to escape to the light chamber by burrowing through the earth in the 

 entrance. Females Nos. 5 and 6 were again returned to the dark chamber and 

 the entrance was plugged with cotton. Late in the evening all was quiet in the 

 nest, the three females having come to rest in different parts of the chamber. 

 No. 4 was busily licking the incerta workers. July 8, 8 a.m. Females Nos. 5 

 and 6 were dead and No. 4 was in undisputed possession. Two more females 

 (Nos. 7 and 8) were introduced and the plug was removed from the entrance, 

 No. 4 made no effort to attack them, but they were pulled about a little by the 

 incerta workers and finally escaped into the light chamber. The entrance was 

 again closed and they were returned to the dark chamber. They ran about 

 but showed no inclination to associate with the incerta or with female No. 4 

 though. they were very conciliatory whenever they happened to meet one of 

 the workers. They lapped the surface of the sugar with avidity. July 9, 

 8 a.m. Female No. 7 was found dead in the manger. Female No. 8 was 

 hovering around the edge of the brood-pile. There must have been some fight- 

 ing during the day, as at 7 p.m. female No. 4 had an injured hind leg and walked 

 with difficulty. She was dead at 8 p.m. Two more females (Nos. 9 and 10) 

 were introduced. Females 8, 9, and 10 quarrelled among themselves. No. 8 

 was seen to move the cocoons whenever the chamber was illumined. This 

 was the first and almost the only time one of these females was seen to pay 

 any attention to the cocoons of her hosts. There were no battles between the 

 females and workers. Late in the evening females Nos. 9 and lo were feeding 

 and caressing each other. July 10, 6 a.m. The three females 8, 9 and 10 

 were huddled together, licking and intergurgitating with the incerta workers. 

 A little pulling of these females by the workers was observed from i to 5 p.m. 

 July II there was peace and this remained unbroken till 5 p.m. on the following 



