174 BRITISH ANTS. 



and this also appears to be the case in America, where this ant 

 has been introduced from Europe. Wheeler writes the pave- 

 ment ant (T. caespitum) of Europe is now common about New 

 York, Washington, and Philadelphia, but it is so sporadic that 

 we must conclude either that it is of comparatively recent im- 

 portation, or is prevented from spreading by competition with 

 our native ants 62 . Marlatt says the pavement ant of our Eastern 

 Cities is the common meadow ant in Europe, and is very common 

 in the eastern towns and particularly in Washington, having 

 colonies beneath the pavements, and is often a more pernicious 

 and pestilent house nuisance than the true house ant. He goes on 

 to say that it seems to be the species referred to by Kalm in 1748 

 as often occurring in houses in Philadelphia 45 . 



The colonies of this Tetramorium are often very populous, their 

 nests being very extensive, and their enormous females are certainly 

 capable of founding colonies unaided. In July, 1906, Wasmann 

 found a number of dealated females, after the marriage flight, 

 at Hohscheid in Osling, Luxemburg, some under stones in little 

 cells. He took seven females and put them with damp earth in an 

 observation nest, where they fought each other. On September 4th 

 there was only one female surviving, enclosed in a cell with eggs 

 and small larvae 59 . 



The marriage flight takes place chiefly in July, but also occurs 

 from the end of June to well into September according to Schenck 11 . 

 Forel has seen the males and females leaving the nest as early as 

 six o'clock in the morning at Lugano on July 1st, 1871 29 . The male 

 and female being nearly the same size, the latter does not carry the 

 former during the marriage flight. I have found males and winged 

 females in the nests in June, July, and the beginning of August. 



Forel records quite small larvae in nests on October 9th 29 , 

 Bignell found young larvae on May 6th at Whitsand Bay 39 , and I 

 have taken young larvae in the nests at Tenby in April, but larvae 

 appear to be present all through the year. 



The workers of this ant are very courageous, fierce, and quarrel- 

 some, they are robust and their bodies are very hard, their gait is 

 rather quick, and they follow each other in files, but also go out 

 alone on foraging expeditions. They carry their fellows over the 

 back in the same manner as previously described for Myrmica. 



Lord Avebury states that Tetramorium caespitum has the habit 

 of feigning death; he says that this species, however, does not 

 roll itself up, but merely applies its legs and antennae closely to 

 the body 35 . I have not witnessed this, nor have I ever been able 

 to get the ants in my observation nests of this species to exhibit 

 this phenomenon. 



These ants are carnivorous, but also like sweet food, Forel having 

 noticed them entering the corollas of Stachys plants to suck the 

 nectar 29 , and they cultivate root Aphidae in their nests, but do 



