4 8 
Psyche 
[March 
clouds kept alternating the light from as high as 9,200 ft-c to as low 
as 3,400 ft-c. A few males kept coming up on grasses and going 
down again, but they never had time between clouds for the running 
about which precedes flying. On August 28, 1962, after 41 males 
had flown and ten males were up in an actively moving group, a 
cloud reduced light from 7,400 ft-c to 2,300 ft-c. They all stood 
still until it passed. Soon after, when another cloud brought light 
down to 2,200 ft-c, they walked down and into the entrance, only to 
come up again when the cloud passed and the light brightened to 
4,200 ft-c. 
Wind. Polyergus flights were not prevented by any wind re- 
corded. Breezes up to four to six miles per hour seemed to encourage 
male activity. An eight to eleven mph wind might make them stop 
moving and hold on, but it also stimulated the take-off into flight. 
Once, a record number of approximately 60 males flew upward with 
a 10-mph gust. 
Typical flight activity. During the flight season single males and 
females often started coming into sight down in the nest entrance 
at about the time that F. p. nitidiventris workers began foraging in 
the morning (8:30-9:30 on warm mornings). From then on, every 
few minutes one or two would approach the surface and then retreat 
abruptly. By midday a group of male heads could be seen down in 
the entrance ; and later, as the sun shone into the entrance, they would 
begin coming to the surface. At first one or two males would climb 
quickly onto grasses and then retreat as quickly. Soon some would 
stay, and a little mass of males would accumulate on the grasses 
above the nest. These would all be involved in a great activity, run- 
ning up and down grasses and bumping into and running over each 
other in what seemed like a frenzied dance. In a few minutes there 
might be 50 to 150 males taking part in the movement ; then, one by 
one, individuals would flutter wings and fly. Usually flying was 
rather sparse, with one to 15 males flying a minute; but the mass on 
grasses never stopped their jerky running, so there was always an 
impression of great activity. Some males did not take off well on 
their first few tries but instead flew and dropped to neighboring 
grasses, causing the flying area to increase in size. As many flew, 
the group on grasses lessened, activity slowed, and one by one the 
last stragglers took off. On days when only a few males emerged 
and flew there could be no interacting group, but each male would 
still run up and down grasses for several minutes before flying. 
Females acted quite differently. Although one or two might come 
out and then duck back at any time during the morning, they did 
