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[Vol. 89 
foraging trail. Battles may be a deterrent to formation of a given 
path, but their influence is difficult to assess independently. 
Foraging path trajectories from the three nests were monitored 
for two and one half days following initiation of the experiment (see 
Fig. 2 for the final 24 hour period). Once a scouting fan condensed 
into a single pathway the positions were relatively stable. Minor 
adjustments in path locations did occur periodically, and activity on 
specific trails varied from day to day and even hour to hour. Occa- 
sionally (usually in the evening) new scouting parties would emanate 
from the ramp tip or as a tributary of the main trail network. 
Construction of trail covers varied from colony to colony. Colony 
III began covering both its ramp and ground trails quickly (a total 
of 64cm of trail covered by 7 am, 20 August). In contrast. Colonies I 
and II had only 19cm and 3.2cm of covering, respectively, at 7 a.m. 
on 20 August. These same relative speeds were repeated when the 
initial experiment was replicated from 21 to 22 August. Building 
behavior also showed distinct inter-colony variation, mainly in the 
amount of advance siding deposited before the trails were roofed. 
To replicate the first nights’ encounters, I removed the three 
ramps and scraped clean the entire 3.5 X 3.5 m 2 grid at noon on 21 
August. This caused attrition of those individuals on the ground and 
out foraging, but the established trails had to be destroyed to induce 
active scouting. New ramps (90cm long) were installed at 6:30 p.m., 
with ends touching the ground in an equilateral triangle of side 
length 25 cm. 
Members of Colony I came down their ramp fairly rapidly and 
began three major paths from its tip, one to the southeast, one to the 
north, and one due west. At 7 p.m. termites from Colony II began 
coming down their ramp and immediately began to fight with Col- 
ony I’s southeast-bound foragers. When the first workers from Col- 
ony III came down their ramp and encountered foreigners, they 
rapidly reversed direction and returned en masse to the mouth of 
their nest, after which a large group of Colony III termites stormed 
down the ramp. The possibility of worker recruitment in these cir- 
cumstances should be investigated. The battle between Colonies I 
and III was vehement for 20 minutes; after 30 minutes Colony I’s 
southeast trail was abandoned. Colony III established a new trail 
180° away from the direction of original interference with Colony I. 
