1906.] Wheeler, Founding of Colonies by Queen Ants. 59 



workers with great assiduity. Some of them still pinched her legs from time to 

 time. At 7.10 p.m. she showed signs of weakness, and died soon afterwards. 

 At 8 p. M. another female was introduced. She was at once threatened by 

 several workers and pulled across the chamber. She was soon released, how- 

 ever, and ascended the brood-pile, where she was attacked by a callow. She 

 was seen to feed one worker and to attempt to repeat the same performance 

 with a second when she was attacked by a third. The proffered droplet was 

 distinctly seen at the tip of her tongue while she opened her mandibles to their 

 fullest extent. At 8.45 p.m. she was passing from one worker to another, lick- 

 ing, feeding and being fed. At 9 p. m. there was very little bickering. The 

 female seemed to be quite at home on the stack of coccons and was being licked 

 and fed by the workers. Aug. 22, 7 a. m. she was still alive and resting on the 

 brood-pile, which the ants had moved to a different part of the nest. A worker 

 pulled her by the antenna but soon released her. Two more callows were 

 hatching, so that by 6 p.m. there were 14 workers in the nest. During the fol- 

 lowing days, from Aug. 23 to 27, there were few or no hostilities, so that female 

 No. 2 seemed to be definitively adopted. Aug. 27, 11 a.m. another female 

 (No. 3) was introduced. For some time she remained unnoticed, resting on the 

 towelling at the edge of the chamber. By 12 m. she had entered the cluster of 

 workers and brood and was being pulled by the legs and antennas. She stood 

 her ground and offered food but was seized by the mandibles. At 12.30 p.m. 

 female No. 3 had a lame antenna, and at 1.35 a fierce combat was in progress 

 between the two females, female No. 2 being the aggressor. By 6 p.m. peace 

 was restored and by 8.35 female No. 3 had been adopted. Two more females 

 (Nos. 4 and 5) were introduced. No. 3, and somewhat later No. 4, was attacked 

 and pulled by three workers. There was also some fighting between Nos. 2 

 and 3. The workers soon began to lick No. 4. Aug. 28, 7 a.m. Female No. 

 3 was dead. She had probably been injured by the tweezers during her intro- 

 duction into the nest. Three more females (Nos. 6, 7 and 8) were introduced. 

 They were threatened and pulled a little by the workers. At 8 p. m. there were 

 lively combats between pairs of females. From time to time these begged the 

 workers for food. Four more females were introduced, making a total of ten. 

 9 p.m. There was much fighting between pairs of females and those latest 

 introduced were being pulled by the workers. As many as three pairs were 

 fighting at the same time. While fighting two females met face to face with 

 open mandibles and made rapid lunges at each other, trying to grab the op- 

 ponent's antenna or fore-leg. When one of them was hard pressed she backed 

 but kept facing her opponent. While in this position they often bent the 

 gaster forward between their hind legs and discharged formic acid into each 

 others' faces. The workers paid no attention to these combats. Aug. 29, 7 

 a.m., three females were dead and the remaining seven were fighting with one 

 another. On the following days (from Aug. 30 to Sept. 2) six of the females 

 remained alive and kept fighting from time to time. Peace was restored Sept. 

 3 and continued till Sept. 9. During this period there jvas a conspicuous 

 tendency for the six females to huddle together in the midst of the incerta work- 

 ers. Sept. 10, 8.30 A.M. six more females were introduced. They were all re- 

 ceived with signs of hostility on the part of the incerta. One of them was 

 attacked by four workers simultaneously. The new females had all been put 

 in the light chamber, but thev soon entered the dark chamber of their own 



