222 THE NATURALIST IN NICARAGUA. [Ch. XII. 



soon, however, as the first rains set in, the trees throw 

 out numerous vigorous shoots, and the ants multiply 

 again with astonishing rapidity. 



Both in Brazil and Nicaragua I paid much attention 

 to the relation hetween the presence of honey-secreting 

 glands on plants, and the protection the latter secured 

 by the attendance of ants attracted by the honey. I 

 found many plants so protected ; the glands being 

 specially developed on the young leaves, and on the 

 sepals of the flowers. Besides the bull's -horn acacias, 

 I, however, only met with two other genera of plants 

 that furnished the ants with houses, namely, the Cecropice 

 and some of the Melastomce ; but I have no doubt that 

 there are many others. The stem of the Cecropia, or 

 trumpet-tree, is hollow, and divided into cells by parti- 

 tions that extend across the interior of the hollow trunk. 

 The ants gain access by making a hole from the outside, 

 and then burrow through the partitions, thus getting the 

 run of the whole stem. They do not obtain their food 

 directly from the tree, but keep brown scale-insects 

 (Coccidce) in the cells, which suck the juices from the 

 tree, and secrete a honey-like fluid that exudes from a 

 pore on the back, and is lapped up by the ants. In one 

 cell eggs will be found, in another grubs, and in a third 

 pupae, all lying loosely. In another cell, by itself, a 

 queen ant will be found, surrounded by walls made of a 

 brown waxy-looking substance, along with about a dozen 

 coccidce to supply her with food. I suppose the eggs are 

 removed as soon as laid, for I never found any along 

 with the queen- ant. If the tree be shaken, the ants 

 rush out in myriads, and search about for the molester. 



