78 
Psyche 
[April 
well covered with small sticks and minute pebbles as well as 
several snail shells, flat and several millimeters in diameter; 
thus showing that much material had been added to the mound 
from surface collections, while originally all the material had 
come from subterranean excavations. At that date, though 
there had been frosts, the temperature was 70° F. and yet only 
one or two ants were to be seen on the mound. No more measure- 
ments were made till August 7, 1914. It had then become a 
noticeable mound arising abruptly on the west where bordering 
an obscure path apparently used by dogs, and sloping gradually 
on the east down to the lower level. The top of the mound was 
bald, covered with small sticks and stones, but about the middle 
height was a tonsure of straggling grass stems. The “stones” 
were such as ants collect; some may be 7 x 5 mm. and weigh 200 
milligrams. Many ants were active about the base, but none 
up on the mound. A similar nest stood some 80 feet to the North. 
The measurements taken were: height 12 on west; 19.5 on east; 
diameters 42 east and west, 38 . 5 north and south. 
September 19 of the following year, 1915, it measured 16 on 
west, 24 on the east, 47 north and south, and 52 east and west. 
It seemed well cared for with large fragments of stick and stone 
recently added to the dome to build up after heavy rains and 
was covered with very active ants. Both base and summit were 
bare with the sparse grass growing out from the sides of the 
mound in a zone. 
After more than a week of rain in a cold wet season, the nest, 
June 18, 1916, was still in good form with much fine sand newly 
applied and swarming with actively working ants. The measure- 
ments were: west 16, east 21 in height; north and south 50, 
east and west 53 in width. Thus the mound had not gained, but 
apparently lost somewhat of its greatest height since the previous 
autumn, though its increased diameters suggested winter de- 
nudation had spread the material and as yet the loss of height 
had not been made good. 
No measurements followed till the spring of 1919, April 13, 
when on account of cold few ants were working, though in the 
immediate neighborhood some dozen fine new nests of this same 
general age all showed much recent activity by presence of 
