92 TWO CHAPTERS ON AXTS. 



With her strong mandibles she could have 

 crushed any number of her small assailants ; 

 but in. no instance did she show the least 

 disposition to rebel against the indignities 

 to Avhich she was subjected. She was often 

 dragged away, with her back 011 the ground 

 and her legs coiled up, apparently helpless. 

 If all the soldiers had been treated in this 

 way, it would not have been so remarkable ; 

 but so far as I could see the rest were allow- 

 ed to remain, going in and out of the nest as 

 if taking a survey of their new surroundings. 

 For rive months I had these ants under 

 almost constant observation, and yet I was 

 unable to make ont the true position of the 

 soldiers in the colony. They stay mostly 

 within the nest. On the warmest days a 

 few will come out and walk leisurely around 

 the mound. They are not scattered irregu- 

 larly through the nest, but seem to be housed 

 together in large chambers. In one of these 

 chambers I found a wingless queen in their 

 midst. It seemed very fitting for a queen 

 to be surrounded by Amazon soldiers ; but, 

 alas ! they seemed more like maids of honor 

 than soldiers, for they forsook the royal lady 

 without making an effort to defend her. 

 Not so, however, with the little workers; 

 they rallied around her, ready to guard her 



