18 
Psyche 
[February 
of Harpagoxenus and L. curvispinosus. The nest was situated in 
a hollow twig that rested on a moss-covered rock. The open end 
of the twig had been plugged with a beautiful lichen carton with 
the customary circular aperture in its center. On the outside of 
the twig a group of the yellow curvispinosus clustered about a 
Harpagoxenus worker, while on the rock immediately below was 
a similar group. The entire colony was easily collected, placed 
in a handkerchief, and subsequently transferred to a plaster 
observation nest. On splitting the twig two more Harpagoxenus 
workers were found. Once the nest was installed in the obser- 
tion nest it became apparent that I had misjudged the situation. 
The only queen present was that of the Leptothorax. Moreover 
under the binocular I could see the curvispinosus workers clinging 
with locked mandibles to the legs and antennae of the Harpago- 
xenus. Here was no mixed colony but a number of raiders, 
fiercely resisted by the curvispinosus. That the latter had suf- 
fered in spite of their superior numbers was evident from their 
missing legs and antennse. While I was watching, one of the 
curvispinosus maneuvering for a grip on the antenna of the 
Harpagoxenus had both its own antennse bitten off when it came 
within reach of the intruder’s jaws. Three of the four Harpa- 
goxenus workers were thus surrounded. The fourth had found a 
shelter under a piece of leaf mould. Here it remained coming out 
only to drive away any curvispinosus that approached its refuge. 
By next day the curvispinosus had established themselves in a 
small cavity in the plaster at one end of the nest. The brood had 
been carried inside and the entrance partially blocked by vege- 
table detritus. During the night two of the Harpagoxenus wor- 
kers had succombed to the attacks of the curvispinosus and a 
third seemed badly crippled. The remaining Harpagoxenus, in 
all probability the one who had stayed under the leaf mould, 
was now surrounded by three curvispinosus workers which had 
fastened their mandibles on its legs and antenna. It made no 
efforts to extricate itself during the entire day but must have 
succeeded in doing so during the following night, for on the 
morning of the 2nd, it was wandering about the nest apparently 
uninjured. At this time there were nine dead curvispinosus 
workers in the nest. 
