﻿ACADEMY 
  OP 
  SCIENCES. 
  73 
  

  

  face 
  the 
  intruder, 
  raising 
  tiiomselves 
  upon 
  their 
  hind 
  tarsi, 
  and 
  moving 
  their 
  

   somewhat 
  formidable 
  mandibles 
  to 
  and 
  fro 
  as 
  if 
  in 
  defiance 
  of 
  their 
  foe. 
  Spi- 
  

   ders, 
  wasps, 
  beetles 
  and 
  other 
  insects 
  are, 
  if 
  they 
  come 
  too 
  near 
  to 
  the 
  hive, 
  at- 
  

   tacked 
  by 
  them 
  in 
  the 
  most 
  merciless 
  manner, 
  and 
  the 
  dead 
  body 
  of 
  the 
  van- 
  

   quished 
  is 
  speedily 
  removed 
  from 
  the 
  neighborhood 
  of 
  the 
  nest, 
  the 
  conquerers 
  

   marching 
  back 
  to 
  resume 
  their 
  places 
  in 
  the 
  line 
  of 
  defence, 
  their 
  object 
  in 
  

   the 
  destruction 
  of 
  other 
  insects 
  being 
  the 
  protection 
  of 
  their 
  encampment, 
  and 
  

   not 
  the 
  obtaining 
  of 
  food. 
  While 
  one 
  section 
  of 
  the 
  black 
  workers 
  is 
  thus 
  en- 
  

   gaged 
  as 
  sentinels, 
  another 
  and 
  still 
  more 
  numerous 
  division 
  will 
  be 
  found 
  busily 
  

   employed 
  in 
  entering 
  the 
  quadrangle 
  by 
  a 
  diagonal 
  line 
  bearing 
  NFJ, 
  and 
  

   carrying 
  in 
  their 
  mouths 
  flowers 
  and 
  fragments 
  of 
  aromatic 
  leaves 
  which 
  they 
  

   deposit 
  in 
  the 
  centre 
  of 
  the 
  square. 
  A 
  reference 
  to 
  the 
  accompanying 
  sketch 
  

   will 
  give 
  a 
  more 
  clear 
  understanding 
  of 
  their 
  course; 
  the 
  dotted 
  line 
  (a) 
  repre- 
  

   senting 
  the 
  path 
  of 
  this 
  latter 
  section, 
  while 
  the 
  mound 
  of 
  flowers 
  and 
  leaves 
  is 
  

   marked 
  (c). 
  If 
  the 
  line 
  (a) 
  be 
  followed 
  in 
  a 
  SW 
  direction, 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  found 
  to 
  

   lead 
  to 
  the 
  trees 
  and 
  shrubs 
  upon 
  which 
  another 
  division 
  of 
  the 
  black 
  workers 
  

   is 
  settled, 
  engaged 
  in 
  biting 
  off 
  the 
  petals 
  and 
  leaves 
  to 
  be 
  collected 
  and 
  con- 
  

   veyed 
  to 
  the 
  nest 
  by 
  their 
  s.ssistants 
  below. 
  On 
  the 
  west 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  encamp- 
  

   ment 
  is 
  a 
  h»Ic 
  marked 
  (d), 
  leading 
  down 
  to 
  the 
  interior 
  of 
  the 
  nest, 
  which 
  is 
  

   probably 
  chiefly 
  intended 
  for 
  the 
  introduction 
  of 
  air, 
  as 
  in 
  case 
  of 
  any 
  individu- 
  

   als 
  carrying 
  their 
  loads 
  into 
  it, 
  they 
  immediately 
  emerge 
  and 
  bear 
  them 
  to 
  the 
  

   common 
  heap, 
  as 
  if 
  conscious 
  of 
  having 
  been 
  guilty 
  of 
  an 
  eiror. 
  A 
  smaller 
  hole 
  

   near 
  to 
  the 
  SE 
  corner 
  of 
  the 
  square, 
  is 
  the 
  only 
  other 
  means 
  by 
  which 
  

   tiie 
  interior 
  can 
  be 
  reached, 
  and 
  down 
  this 
  aperture, 
  marked 
  (b), 
  the 
  flowers 
  

   gathered 
  by 
  the 
  black 
  workers 
  are 
  carried 
  along 
  the 
  line 
  (e), 
  from 
  the 
  heap 
  in 
  

   the 
  centre 
  of 
  the 
  square, 
  by 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  the 
  smaller 
  yellow 
  workers 
  (No. 
  1), 
  

   who, 
  with 
  their 
  weaker 
  frames 
  and 
  less 
  developed 
  mouth 
  organs, 
  seem 
  adapted 
  

   lor 
  the 
  gentler 
  offices 
  of 
  nurses 
  for 
  the 
  colony 
  within. 
  It 
  is 
  remarkable 
  that 
  no 
  

   black 
  ant 
  is 
  ever 
  seen 
  upon 
  the 
  line 
  ((•)', 
  and 
  no 
  yellow 
  one 
  ever 
  approaches 
  the 
  

   line 
  (a), 
  each 
  keeping 
  his 
  own 
  separate 
  station 
  and 
  following 
  his 
  given 
  line 
  of 
  

   duty 
  with 
  a 
  steadfastness 
  which 
  is 
  as 
  wonderful 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  admirable. 
  By 
  remov- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  soil 
  to 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  about 
  three 
  feet, 
  and 
  tracing 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  the 
  galler- 
  

   ies 
  Irom 
  the 
  entrances 
  (b) 
  and 
  (d), 
  a 
  small 
  excavation 
  is 
  reached, 
  across 
  which 
  is 
  

   spread 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  a 
  spider's 
  web, 
  a 
  net 
  work 
  ol 
  squares 
  spun 
  by 
  the 
  insects, 
  

   the 
  squares 
  being 
  about 
  one-quarter 
  inch 
  across, 
  and 
  the 
  ends 
  of 
  the 
  web 
  fastened 
  

   firmly 
  to 
  the 
  earth 
  of 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  hollowed 
  space 
  which 
  forms 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  

   the 
  excavation. 
  In 
  each 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  squares, 
  supported 
  by 
  the 
  web, 
  sits 
  one 
  of 
  

   the 
  honey-making 
  workers, 
  (No. 
  2), 
  apparently 
  in 
  the 
  condition 
  of 
  a 
  prisoner, 
  

   as 
  it 
  does 
  not 
  appear 
  that 
  these 
  creatures 
  ever 
  quit 
  the 
  nest. 
  Indeed 
  it 
  would 
  

   be 
  ditficult 
  for 
  them 
  to, 
  do 
  so, 
  as 
  their 
  abdomens 
  are 
  so 
  swollen 
  out 
  i)y 
  the 
  honey 
  

   which 
  they 
  contain, 
  as 
  to 
  render 
  locomotion 
  a 
  task 
  of 
  difricult.y, 
  if 
  not 
  to 
  make 
  

   it 
  utterly 
  impossible. 
  

  

  'I'he 
  workers, 
  (No. 
  1), 
  provide 
  them 
  with 
  a 
  constant 
  supply 
  of 
  flowers 
  and 
  

   pollen, 
  which, 
  by 
  a 
  process 
  analogous 
  to 
  that 
  of-the 
  bee, 
  they 
  convert 
  into 
  honey. 
  

  

  