80 
Psyche 
[April 
end of its fifteenth year the mound was rather imposing, being 
16 feet about the base, with abrupt slope on the north 30 inches 
up the steep to the summit, and 48 from the summit down to 
the ground to the South, while the west slope was 33 and the 
east 44 inches from summit to ground level. 
August 21, 1921, the mound was in fine condition with newly 
capped dome, but owing to cool weather and time of day, 6.30 
p. m., but few ants were slowly going over the dome and about 
the neighborhood of the nest. The measurements were: West 
21, East 30, North-south 72, and East- west 72. The greatest 
North-west-South-east diameter was 76 inches. The surface 
distances over the top were: East-west 82, North-south 85 and 
greatest North-west, South-east 88. The circumference of base 
was 18 feet. In general appearance the mound presented a high 
state of differentiation. The surrounding bare space or moat 
strewn with dead leaves and twigs of vine that stops in growth 
at its outer edge, makes more striking the sudden rise of the 
mound from the level of the ground. The lower parts of the 
slopes of the mound are covered with talus of loose mouthfuls of 
earth rolled down from upper levels. Higher up is a faint zone 
of scattered grass, and still higher up a higher zone of still more 
sparse grass. The rounded dome is free from grass and covered 
with fresh light-colored subsoil and bits of dead twigs deposited 
to form a sort of rudely thatched roof. Near the summit of the 
north a minute crater seemed possibly still open to the interior. 
The north face remains much the steepest and the summit is 
nearer the north and far from the southerly limits of the mound. 
At this period of great development of the mound a new in- 
cipient nest was being constructed 42 inches to the North-west 
from the adult mound and if this may be regarded as an offspring 
from the large community, it may indicate its maturity and a 
successful effort at colonization of the neighborhood. 
July 20, 1922, with temperature of 93, after many rains, 
the mound was swarming with very active ants that also spread 
many feet from the nest amidst the honeysuckle and grass. 
The mound presented several open holes of exit near the top but 
no ants were working near the top. The growth of grass on the 
sides of the mound was sparse and sickly, the honeysuckle dead 
