THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 85 
exodus of the winged individuals is taking place. The 
workers clear the roads of exit, and show the most lively 
interest in their departure, although it is highly improbable 
that any of them will return to the same colony. The 
swarming or exodus of the winged males and females of the 
Saiiba ant takes place in January and February, that is, at 
the commencement of the rainy season. They come out in 
the evening in vast numbers, causing quite a commotion in 
the streets and lanes.” We have quoted this passage from 
Mr. Bates’ fascinating book because of the great similarity 
and dissimilarity in the movements of the two species at this 
period of their existence. Remembering, at the time, the 
above remarks concerning the South American species, we 
looked carefully for the workers, in this instance, and failed 
to discover above a dozen wingless ants above ground, and 
these were plodding about very indifferent, as it appeared to 
us, to the fate or welfare of their winged brothers. On 
digging down a few inches we could find but comparatively 
few individuals in the nest, and could detect no movements 
on their parts that referred to the exodus of winged indi- 
viduals then going on. On the other hand, the time of day 
agrees with the remarks of Mr. Bates. When we first 
noticed them, about 4 P.M., they had probably just com- 
menced their “ flight.” It continued until nearly 7 P.M., or a 
considerable time after sundown. The next morning there 
was not an individual, winged or wingless, to be seen above 
ground; the nest itself was comparatively empty; and what 
few occupants there were seemed to be in a semi-torpid con- 
dition. Were they simply resting after the fatigue and 
excitement of yesterday? It was not possible for us to 
calculate what proportion of these winged ants were carried 
by the wind too far to return to their old home; but certainly 
a large proportion were caught by the surrounding trees ; 
and we found, on search, some of these crawling down the 
trunks of the trees with their wings in a damaged condition. 
How near the trees must be for them to reach their old home 
we should like to learn; and what tells them “ which road to 
take?” Dr. Duncan states (‘Transformations of Insects, 
p- 205) :—“It was formerly supposed that the females which 
alighted at a great distance from their old nests returned 
again, but Huber, having great doubts upon this subject 
