1906.] Wheeler, Founding of Colonies by Queen Ants. 8 1 



hatched and most of them had matured. They have since formed a part of 

 this triple mixed colony and are living in perfect amity with the rubicunda 

 female and the subsericea workers (Sept. 12). 



Experiment 38. July 15, 7.30 a.m., a female rubicunda was placed in a 

 nest containing 11 medium-sized subsericea workers with more than 100 naked 

 worker pupffi and semipupae from a rather small colony found under a stone. 

 The female was not molested during the day, but at 6 p. m. was quietly resting 

 at some distance from the workers and their brood. July 16, 7 a. m., the female 

 was still resting at the edge of the brood. Two workers had been killed during 

 the night. While the nest was under observation a worker approached the 

 female and seized her by the antenna. She at once curled her body about 

 the worker and killed her. The morning, like the preceding night, was cold, 

 so that the ants were very sluggish. At 12 m. the female seemed to be seeking 

 adoption among the subsericea. Whenever the nest was uncovered, she was 

 found hanging about the workers and their brood. The workers seemed to be 

 on the defensive. At 6.50 p.m. the female suddenly took possession of the pile 

 of pupae in the corner of the nest and was prancing about. This alert and ex- 

 cited behavior was extraordinary after her lethargy during the whole day. 

 Whenever a worker entered the corner she was driven away or killed. Seven 

 of the workers were killed between 6 and 6.50 p.m. The survivors fled to the 

 light end of the chamber with some of their pupas and at 7.20 p. m. were drag- 

 ging pellets of earth to the comer and trying to barricade themselves from the 

 female. July 17, 7.30 a.m., the female had killed the remaining 4 workers 

 and had collected all the nude pupae and semipupae in a compact pile. At 8.40 

 the corner in which the female was guarding the brood was brightly lighted 

 and another corner of the chamber was darkened. By 9.45 she had carried 

 all the brood into the dark comer and was guarding them with open mandi- 

 bles. At II A.M. another female rubicunda from the same colony was in- 

 troduced. This female (B) was readily distinguished from the first female (A) 

 in the following observations by her wing stumps. B on approaching A was at 

 first violently attacked, but she was soon recognized and permitted to pass. 

 July 18, 7 A.M., female B seemed to be less attached to the brood than A. 

 One callow had hatched during the night and at 8.45 another appeared and 

 was being licked by female A. By 7.30 a.m. female B had come to take as 

 much interest in the brood as A. When the nest was uncovered both females 

 hastened to conceal the pupae and semipupae, and when a straw or the finger 

 was brought near the brood both females thrust their mandibles into it. The 

 callows were beginning to assist the females in freeing the young from their 

 pupal envelopes. July 19, 7.30 a.m., the rubicunda sisters behaved as on the 

 preceding day and carried the pupae to the same dark spot when their comer 

 was exposed to the light. July 20, 7.30, 2 callows had hatched during the night 

 and two appeared on the following day, July 21. Two more hatched July 23, 

 but no others had appeared by July 26, when the experiment was discontinued. 



Experiment 3Q . July 18, 8 a. m., a rubicunda female was placed in the dark 

 chamber of a nest with 12 medium-sized subsericea workers and about 150 nude 

 worker pupae and semipupae. The adjoining chamber was then opened and the 

 illumination reversed. The workers began to move their brood into the other 

 (now darkened) chamber, and succeeded in getting about 50 of their pupae 

 [May, IQ06.] 



