ANTS. 



are in certain n>pi/cts transitional to the genera Cyphomyrmex and 

 M \rmicocr\pta ( Fig'. 183), and species of the last show affinities with 

 Scncomyrmc.v ( Fig. 184). Apterostiyma (Fig. 185) is very aberrant, 

 resembling in !'rm certain Alyrmicines of the subgenera Aphccno- 

 //i/.v/t-r and Jsciiiicinyrinc.r. The workers of Atta are covered with 

 -4 iff. erect or suberect, hooked or curved hairs, and the surface of 

 the body is tnberculate or spinose. In Cyphomyrmex the body is 

 smoother and covered with short, appressed, scale-like hairs. In 

 S eric om \rmc.\- and Aptcrostigma the hairs are soft, flexuous and 

 very abundant. With few exceptions all the Attii have the sur- 

 face of the body opaque and of a ferruginous, brown or blackish 

 color. All the species, moreover, though very powerful and able to 

 make surprisingly extensive excavations in the soil, are very slow and 

 sedate in their movements. The sting of the workers is vestigial, but 





FIG. 187. Fungus (Tyridiomyces 



formicaruin) cultivated by Cypho- 

 myrmex rimosus on insect excrement. 

 (Original.) a. Bromatia, or food 

 bodies ; b, yeast-like cells of which 

 these consist. 



FIG. 1 88. Worker of 

 Mycocepunis smitlii of 

 the American tropics. 

 (Original.) 



in the larger species the sharp jaws may be used as most efficient organs 

 of defence. The smaller species are extremely timid and when roughly 

 handled " feign death " like many beetles. In all the species the hard, 

 rough or spinose integument must afford efficient protection from alien 

 ants and other enemies. 



The Attii are such conspicuous, abundant and destructive insects in 

 tropical America that we arc not surprised to find an extensive litera- 

 ture on their taxonomy and habits. The latter have been described by 

 Buckley (1860), Bates (1863), Lincecum (1867), Norton (1868), B. 

 R. Townsend (1870), Belt (1874), McCook (18790, 18796), Morris 



