x OBSERVATIONS ON PSITHYRUS 255 



Seeing a restoration to the workers in their 

 present temper was impossible, I took her away. 

 She was cold and lethargic and refused food. But 

 at 1 1. 1 5 a.m. she seemed to have recovered some- 

 what and, after taking some honey which I offered 

 her, she became, to all appearance, quite well and 

 lively. 



At 11.30 I decided to put her back again into 

 the nest. The commotion among the workers had 

 subsided to a great extent, and they were beginning 

 to quarrel between themselves, occasionally butting 

 one another ; but as soon as the queen was intro- 

 duced the uproar began again and they rushed 

 towards her and attacked her fiercely. One seized 

 her wing, another took hold of her leg and tried to 

 drag her by it, while several others climbed on to 

 her back and tried to sting her. She made no 

 attempt at resistance, but endeavoured to creep 

 away. Seizing a favourable opportunity, I pushed 

 the glass lid to one side and let her crawl out. 

 Although she had been only about two minutes in 

 the nest, she had in that time fallen into the same 

 state of depression, lethargy, and coldness as when 

 I rescued her before. Seeing that it was of no use 

 to try and reinstate her, I killed her. During the 

 afternoon the workers constructed an egg cell in 

 a new place and laid a number of eggs in it. 

 Throughout the afternoon and evening this cell 

 was the centre of a great deal of quarrelling ; first 

 one worker then another held it, single-handed, 

 against all comers. One began to bite it open, 



