73 . 
We have found the eggs of this species only November 10,* April 
25, and May 20; but exceedingly small larvee certainly very recently 
hatched have been collected by us May 5 to 19, July 15, and September 
21. Our experiments have not, however, been conducted in a way to 
distinguish between eggs and young coming from fully developed fe- 
males and those from fertile workers. 
The larve hatching from time to time throughout the summer may 
be found as pupx from the latter part of May through June, July, Au- 
gust, and September, to October 30, and even, according to a single ob- 
servation made at Urbana, to November 20. 
Haunts, Actions, and Habits—The nests or burrows of this ant, 
in which these breeding operations are carried forward, are widely dis- 
tributed in corn fields and grass lands,—especially in the latter, along 
the borders of roads and paths,—and also under stones and boards, in 
and under decaying logs, and in an indefinite variety of situations. In 
corn fields they are established almost wholly in the hills of corn, and 
remain here among the old corn roots throughout the season. As this 
is the commonest and most generally distributed of all our ants in [li- 
nois, an exhaustive list of its places of habitation would. have little 
present interest. It has never been found by us to form large settle 
ments, or making mounds or conspicuous structures of any kind; but 
simply scatters its little burrows almost indiscriminately, living in small 
families rather than in great colonies or city-like aggregations, and pil- 
ing up only a small temporary heap of pellets around the mouth of its 
burrow. When its mines are explored they are found to consist of ir- 
regularly radiating and connected tunnels, rarely going to a greater 
depth than six or eight inches, or extending outward over a horizontal 
area of more than twelve or fifteen inches. Here and there in their 
course or at their extremities and at various depths are chamber-like 
enlargements in which their eggs and young and the eggs of the corn 
root aphis are preserved and cared for. Here also considerable collec- 
tions of the worker ants are usually found,—especially in winter and in 
times of summer drouth,—and in these chambers the female resides 
and lays her eggs. 
In April, May, and June the workers seem to be most numerous and 
active. In July and August their activity declines, particularly in the 
hottest and driest weather, although if nests be opened at these times 
the ants will be found in abundance. Again, in September, a period 
of bustling activity begins which continues until checked by the winter 
cold. 
* These eggs were obtained from a female brought in from the field October 
28, 1898. Two females taken at this time were found in earthen cells very much 
alike, each about three fourths of an inch long by half an inch wide, irregularly 
oval, with the inside nicely smoothed. No other ants were found in the immediate 
vicinity. One of these females was placed October 25 in a Lubbock formicary be- 
tween sheets of glass and fed with sugar. November 5 she had made an oval cham- 
ber in the earth (exposed above where it came in contact with the glass), and from 
this chamber had begun to tunnel laterally. November 10 she was seen with several 
white eggs in her jaws, and November 12 with a still larger number. These eggs 
were kept in a mass, and hastily removed from the oval chamber to the tunnel on 
the slightest disturbance. The carelessness of some workmen broke up this formi- 
cary on the 16th of the month, and the eggs were not seen again. The eggs col- 
lected April 25 hatched May 5. Those obtained May 20 were from a nest in an oat 
field on old corn ground, which contained also a queen, or fertile female, great num- 
bers of worker ants, and lJarve of various sizes—from those just hatched to others 
apparently full grown. 
