THE BUTTERFLY 



53 



may be distinguished by the fact that the first segment of the 

 abdomen forms a small Icnot or scale lying between the thorax 

 and the remainder of the abdomen (Fig. 58). 



The intelhgence of ants is notorious. This intelligence has 

 developed in connection with a highly organized .social life. 

 This social Ufe is a communistic one. Homes are Ijuilt, food 

 is gathered, wars are made, and domains are defended Ijravely 

 and loyally' all for the sake of the entire community. The 

 individual is little regartled, and each one is born to a caste 

 from which escape is impossible. For, in addition to the dis- 



f zl*' * 



%!. 



^'A- %, '¥«. 



Fig. .5S. — Campouotus, the carpenter ant. Uniformly black. Shows scale 

 behind thora.x. Nat. size. Photo, by W. H. C. P. 



tinction of sex characteristic of other species, we have here 

 workers, and these workers may be of different kinds. Thus 

 certain workers get food and care for the young; others, 

 which serve as soldiers and defend the colony or conduct war, 

 are in some cases provifled with powerful jaws. In some spe- 

 cies there are three or more classes of workers, each having its 

 characteristic form of body. 



Ant Colonies. — A colony is founded by a female. On warm 

 daj's the young males and females may leave the nests and 

 take flight in great numbiers. This is the marriage flight of 

 the queens. Within a few hours after nightfall of the day of 

 this flight the males perish, while the queens settle down to 

 the ground, tear off their \vings, and each of them seeks an 



