370 ZOOLOGY. 
Once at the end of a blade of grass, they seemed even more 
puzzled as to what to do. If not followed by a fellow ant, as was 
usually the case, they would invariably crawl down again to the 
earth, and sometimes repeat this movement until a new comer 
followed in the ascent, when the uncertain individual would be 
‘forced to use his wings. This flight would be inaugurated by a 
very rapid buzzing of the wings, as though to dry them, or prove 
their owner’s power over them; but which, it is difficult to say. 
After a short rest, the violent movement of the wings would re- 
commence, and finally losing fear, as it were, the ant would let go 
his hold upon the blade of grass and rise slowly upwards. It 
could, in fact, scarcely be called flight. The steady vibration of 
the wings simply bore them upwards, ten, twenty or thirty feet, 
until they were caught by a breeze, or by the steadier wind that 
was moving at an elevation equal to the height of the surrounding 
pine and spruce trees. So far as we were able to discover, their 
wings were of the same use to them, in transporting them from 
their former home, that the ‘‘ wings” of many seeds are, in scat- 
tering them; both are wholly at the mercy of the winds. 
Bates, in describing the habits of the Saiiba Ants ( Æcodo- 
ma cephalotes) says,* “The successful début of the winged males 
and females depends likewise on the workers. It is amusing to 
see the activity and excitement which reign in an ant’s nest when 
the exodus of the winged individuals is taking place. The workers 
clear the roads of exit, and show the most lively interest in their 
departure, although it is highly improbable that any of them will 
return to the same colony. The swarming or exodus of the winged 
males and females of the Saiiba ant takes place in January and 
February, that is, at the commencement of the rainy season. 
y come out in the evening in vast numbers, causing quite a 
commotion in the streets and lanes.” We have quoted this 
passage from Mr. Bates’ fascinating book, because of the great 
similarity and dissimilarity in the movements of the two species 
at this period of their existence. Remembering, at the time, the 
above remarks concerning the South American species, we looked 
y for the workers, in this instance, and failed to discover 
above a dozen wingless ants above ground, and these were plodding 
about, very indifferent, as it appeared to us, to the fate or welfare 
of their winged brothers. On digging down a few inches, we 
* Naturalist on the River Amazons, Vol. 1, p. 32. 
