148 Journal New York Entomological Society. [Vol. xvi. 



that the slaves go at once to meet the returning party, as I understand 

 Professor Forel observed. It seems more in accordance with the idea 

 of food-getting instincts that no great number of slaves should be 

 interested in the expedition until they see the booty begin to come in, 

 when many ants are stimulated to go out and get more from the same 

 rich mine. Of course the quick return of the army prevents their 

 going so far as the pillaged nest. 



After the arrival of the first four or five amazons, the attitude of the 

 slaves changed radically, they seemed to lose their heads completely, 

 beginning to drag in large pebbles as if they too wished to share in 

 the home-bringing of booty. However, I saw no pebbles finally taken 

 into the nest. A few slaves and also three or four soldiers ran up the 

 trail meeting the home-coming train and seemed to express joy (or 

 excitement) rather than solicitous attention in their active antics. I saw 

 none relieve others of the home-coming stream. From now on the 

 amazons began to arrive in close succession, often two or three 

 abreast, and plunged straight down the entrance of the home nest. 

 At the same time an increasing number of the red ants and their slaves 

 began to come to the surface. The hole, only about half an inch in 

 diameter, soon became so crowded as to be nearly stopped up. Then 

 I saw an amazon drop her burdensome pupa to stroke her antennae and 

 an outcoming amazon worker picked up the pupa and took it in, hence 

 certainly relieving the former ant of her load. This was the beginning 

 of a considerable change in the actions of the amazons. Up to this 

 time no ant engaged in the expedition had been seen to stop to clean 

 herself, the way the sanguineus so often do on the march, and no ant 

 had been seen to relieve another at her work ; but, with the choking 

 of the home gateway, this exhibition of the above traits in the slave- 

 making instincts became apparent. Two or three other amazons now 

 stopped also to clean themselves and deposit their loads for the mo- 

 ment, and doing so near the entrance amidst the gathering of the 

 greater crowd, served completely to block further expeditious work. 

 Loose pupae and a few larvae were kicking under foot among the many, 

 busy, shoving amazons and slaves. As only a few of the amazons re- 

 turned without young ants, the amount of plunder was judged to be 

 about 1 20 pupae and 60 larvae. In. this condition I left them, un- 

 fortunately having to attend the school lectures. 



After supper, D. G. Saunders, Jr., one of the other observers, 

 and I measured the distance between nests as 175 feet. As we found 



