-7 S AN 'IX. 



plants of both Elciisiiu- uulica and this second Amaninthns sprang up 

 in these new localities, where they continued to flourish." 



The genus Ma-aiioplns. to which some of the observations of the 

 Australian naturalists mentioned above refer, is related to Tetra- 

 inoriiiin, the type of which is the pavement ant, T. ccspituin, of Europe 

 and of our Atlantic States. It is, therefore, interesting to note that 

 this ant occasionally stores seeds in the chambers of its nests. This 

 has been observed by Janet in Europe, and I have also seen the cham- 

 bers of a colony of this ant near Mamaroneck, N. Y., filled with grass 

 seeds. In this case we have apparently either an evanescent or an 

 incipient habit. 



Turning to America we find a goodly array of harvesting ants, 

 nearly all members of genera we have already considered and nearly 

 all inhabitants, like the Old World harvesters, of warm and exception- 

 ally arid regions. Our species are the following: 



1. Solenopsidii : Solenopsis geminata, represented by the typical 

 form of the species and several varieties ; and probably no less than 

 twenty species of Pheidole. 



2. Myrmicii : Five species of Messor, two of Ischowynne.v and 

 some thirty species of Pogonomyrmex, which are about equally divided 

 between North and South America. This last genus may be regarded, 

 perhaps, as the New World representative of the African Ocyinynnc.v. 



Solenopsis geminata, the " fire-ant," is armed, as its popular name 

 indicates, with a formidable sting which it uses on the slightest provo- 

 cation. Its colonies are populous and so numerous that it may be said 

 to be in possession of a large portion of the soil of the American tropics. 

 The nests are made under stones or consist of numerous untidy craters, 

 fused and scattered about irregularly. It is difficult to say whether 

 this ant is more granivorous than entomophagous, for it attacks 

 and eats almost everything that comes in its way. It will even 

 attend coccids on the roots of grasses and occasionally do some damage 

 to soft fruits, like strawberries or germinating garden seeds. During 

 the summer and autumn months its shallow nest-chambers contain 

 quantities of carefully husked seeds, which usually belong to species of 

 Euphorbia, Croton, Plantago and other herbaceous plants. It seems 

 to be less fond of grass seeds. I have already called attention to the 

 preference of this ant for nesting in loamy soil along streams and to 

 its remarkable habit of floating about in balls when its nests are 

 inundated ( p. 14(1 | . 



Of the numerous harvesting species of Pheidole, only one. Ph. pili- 

 fcrci, is common in the Northern States. It has been studied by Morris, 

 McCook and Mrs. Treat. Ph. I'inelandica and tysoni, which range as 



