ANT QUEENS 



immense mimbers of flying ants will be abroad at one 

 time. The contingents from various formicaries are 

 tlriven together in masses mitil the united swarms in- 

 clude myriads of individuals. 



The natural hostility existing between different spe- 

 cies, and even between separate communities of the 

 same species, seems then to be suppressed. It is a time 

 of peace, as wedding events should be; and herein (if 

 this be habitually so) nature surely works for the preser- 

 vation of species. There is no proof and little likelihood 

 that the barriers between species are broken down at 

 these great mass-meetings by alien alliances. But the 

 outputs of multitudes of nests are massed in a common 

 swarm, and drift together before the wind, or take a 

 common course in flight. This phenomenon has always 

 been seen with wonder, as something most unusual, and 

 reports thereof have commonly been largely discounted 

 or wholly doubted. 



I have seen many large flights, but no such swarming 

 myriads as have amazed observers. But from what I 

 have seen, I can readily conceive how such hosts could 

 be assembled. Moreover, I have indubitable accounts 

 of such phenomenon from personal witnesses and per- 

 sonal acquaintances whose word and the accuracy of 

 whose observation are beyond challenge. A few ex- 

 amples will well enough illustrate this feature of the life 

 of emmet queens. 



A remarkable swarm of ants that crossed Holli- 

 daysburg, Pennsylvania, on September 13, 1876, was 

 reported to me by a correspondent. I referred the 

 matter to a citizen of the place, the Rev. Dr. D. H. 

 Barron, a gentleman of learning and discretion, who 

 made a thorough examination and report. The ants, in 



25 



