THE ROYAL MOTHER OF ANTS 



at last the courtiers carry their point. Perhaps this sort 

 of courtier-nagging is not unknown in the palaces of 

 human sovereigns. 



Once a queen escaped from the surface-gate of one of 

 my formicaries. Not a courtier was in sight. She was 

 free! Off she ran, as though intending to have a good 

 romp and enjoy her freedom. But she had reckoned 

 without her host, for she had gone but a little way when 

 her body-guard pursued and seized her, somewhat rough- 

 ly, and immediately began to pull her backward towards 

 the gate. She resisted sturdily, but at last gave way, 

 and was drawn down the opening into the royal domicile. 

 Poor queen! Certes, there are some drawbacks to the 

 dignities that hedge about an emmet throne. 



The courtiers maintain their circular sentry while the 

 queen is laying eggs. When they are laid, a worker 

 catches up the tiny white pellets and pulls them to one 

 side. Then they are borne away into the nurseries, 

 wherein all eggs are set aside, and watched and cared 

 for by the workers who have the special charge of that 

 department. 



From what has been written it appears that the name 

 "queen," as commonly applied by entomologists and 

 others to the fertile female of hymenopterous insects, 

 such as bees, wasps, and ants, is misleading to the gen- 

 eral reader. The functions of the ant queen seem to 

 be limited to those above described — namely, first, the 

 mason or carpenter-work and other labors necessary to 

 establish the original nucleus of a formicary; and, sub- 

 sequently, the increase of the colony by depositing eggs. 

 There is really no headship analogous to that which the 

 word "queen" expresses among men. 



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