ORIGIN OF QUEENS. 41 



bees, and in another in that of ants. It is also a strong 

 argument that in none of my nests, though thousands 

 of workers and males have been produced, had I ever 

 observed a queen to be so until the year 1879. On 

 the whole, then, though I differ from so excellent a 

 naturalist with much hesitation, I cannot but think 

 that ants, like bees, possess the power of developing a 

 given egg into either a queen or a worker. 



I have already mentioned that the previous views 

 as to the duration of life of ants turn out to be quite 

 erroneous. It was the general opinion that they lived 

 for a single year. I have, however, novr in my posses- 

 sion two queens, which I have had under observation 

 ever since the year 1874. They must now (August 

 1882) therefore be more than eight yearn old. They 

 seem in perfect health, and in 1881 laid fertile eggs, a 

 feet which suggests physiological conclusions of great 

 interest. 



I have, moreover, little doubt that some of the 

 workers now in this nest were among those originally 

 captured, the mortality after the first few weeks having 

 been but small. This, however, I cannot prove. 



A nest of F. sanguined, which M. Forel kindly 

 forwarded to me on September 12, 1875 (but which 

 contained no queen), gradually diminished in numbers, 

 until in February 1879 it was reduced to two F. aan- 

 guineas and one slave. The latter died in February 

 1880. One of the two mistresses died between May 

 10 and May 16, 1880, and the other only survived her 



