34 
original colony used in making the test. The family settlement thus 
outlined, also irregular in shape, was about 30 feet long by 10 feet in 
greatest breadth. There was no intermingling of hostile groups in 
either of these family areas, all the ants occupying hills within the 
boundaries of each being on friendly terms. 
Relations to other Species of Ants 
Notwithstanding the almost invariable intolerance exhibited by 
different families of the corn-field ant towards each other, they some- 
times live on perfectly friendly terms with ants of other species, both 
kinds mingling harmoniously in the same galleries among the roots of 
the same hills of corn. One of the srnall red house-ants (Solenopsis 
molesta) which often infests kitchens and pantries to the annoyance 
of the housekeeper, is frequently found at home in the nests of our 
corn-field species. A mixed settlement of these two ants found in a 
field near Urbana August 31, 1905, and brought to the insectary and 
established in a jar of earth, collected their larvae and pup?e into sep- 
arate lots without contention, and continued for several days to feed 
peaceably together from the same food supply. August 29 another 
species common in corn fields, Formica schaufiissi, was found by Mr. 
Kelly inhabiting the nests of Lasiiis niger americanus, the larvse and 
pupae of both being, as he says, mingled in the same heap. Trans- 
ferred to a Mason fruit-jar and brought to the insectary, they lived 
together for two days in a Lubbock nest without fighting; but after- 
wards hostilities broke out and all the Formicas were killed save two 
which remained in hiding, and their pupae were thrown by their con- 
querors into the ditch surrounding the nest. 
Behavior within the Nest 
From a colony of ants obtained August 15 and established in a 
Fielde nest, one of seven queens was removed and placed by herself 
August 16 in a glass Petrie dish with moist earth, for special observa- 
tion. She had broken ofT her wings the previous day. and was hence 
presumably fertilized, altho she apparently had not left her native 
nest. She began at once working in the earth as if to make a burrow. 
This is the queen which killed a male placed with her, as described on 
another page. She worked restlessly in the earth for several days, 
helping herself to the sugar syrup offered her, and deposited six eggs 
August 25. It is commonly supposed that a fertile queen does not 
feed after leaving the family nest until she has reared workers capable 
of supplying her with food. Possibly her nest was kept too dry and 
the syrup was taken as drink rather than as food. 
Another queen brought in from the field August 15, pulled off 
three of her wings within the next two days, but did not succeed in 
ridding herself of the fourth until August 25. This queen was re- 
ported by Mr. Kelly to partake once or twice a day of the syrup placed 
in her cell. She busied herself with piling up the dirt beside a bit of 
wet sponge, sometimes undoing at one time what she had done at 
another. She laid no eggs, and died September 6. 
