THE ROYAL MOTHER OF ANTS 



out homes in wood, as do the carpenter ants, or exca- 

 vate galleries underneath the earth's surface and rear 

 mounds upon it, as do the mason ants. As soon as the 

 home-flitting is over, they settle upon the groimd or on 

 a tree, and first of all begin to " undress." They know — 

 although one can only wonder how — that their wings can 

 be of no use in the new life before them, while burrowing 

 in the ground or tunnelling in the fibres of wood. There- 

 fore, they rid themselves of those gauzy encumbrances. 

 This act of unwinging, or dealation accomplished, the 

 queen — for she now may be truly ranked as a founder 







PLAYGROUND OF YOUNG ANT QUEENS 



Circular disk, or plaza, above the formicary of the Agricultural ant 

 of Texas, eleven feet in diameter, and from it roads di- 

 verge to facilitate foraging, harvesting, etc. 

 7 



