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574 THE AMERICAN NATURALIST. 
devotion to the two introduced queens. Careful comparison of the largest 
workers with the 9 of Z. sumichrasti will show that there is nothing tran- 
scending the possibilities of insect development in supposing that a worker 
could be developed into a queen. This could, perhaps, be accomplished by 
a certain amount of postmetamorphic growth with an ecdysis or two, but 
the differences are still too great to justify us in drawing this conclusion 
from circumstantial evidence. During the coming year it may be possible 
to solve this interesting problem suggested by the sudden appearance of 
9 C in an artificial nest. 
In the beginning of May my artificial colony showed signs of demoraliza- 
tion and decay. The eggs laid by 9 4 and 9 B had been devoured and 
the workers were dying rapidly. 9 A and 9 C were killed and preserved 
May 12, as I had no hopes of raising the males. 
Very dini I have succeeded in finding several colonies of £czzoz 
omnivorum. One of these, discovered under some large stones May 4, 
was very large and flourishing, but it contained no queen, larvz, or pupz. 
There were, however, dozens of callow workers of different sizes. This 
may serve as a clue to finding the still unknown 9 of this widely distributed 
species, since it indicates that the breeding season is earlier S that o 
E. sumichrasti — possibly in December or January. 
E. sumichrasti was observed on the march May 1. May2 I sawa 
black Eciton (near E. Californicum, but probably undescribed) moving 
along a path in double and triple files. These dates are here recorded 
because they seem to indicate the time when the Ecitons leave their tempo- 
rary winter quarters to resume their marauding expeditions. 
AUSTIN, May 20, 1900. 
