HONEY-MAKING ANTS. 113 



a burden of fragments of flowers or aromatic leaves. 

 These are all deposited in the centre of the quadrangle 

 c. Along the other diagonal e there is a no less incessantly 

 moving double line of yellow workers (I.), whose office it 

 is to convey the supplies deposited by the black workers 

 at c to 6, which is the gateway of the fortress. It is re- 

 markable that no black ant is ever seen upon the line e, 



w 



N 



e 



■6 



/ 

 / 



/ 



E 



S 



Fig. 7. 

 and no yellow one upon the line a ; each keeps his own 

 separate station, and follows his own particular duty with 

 a steadfastness and apparent adherence to discipline that 

 are most astonishing. The hole at d seems to be a venti- 

 lating shaft ; it is never used as a gateway. 



Section of the nest reveals, besides galleries, a small 

 chamber about three feet below the surface, across which 

 is spread, like a spider's web, a network of squares spun 

 by the insects, the squares being about ^ inch across, and 



I 



