THE FUNGUS-GROWING ANTS. 



3 2: 



(1880), Brent (1886), Tanner (1892), Moeller (1893), von Ihering 

 (1894, 1898), Urich ( 18950, 18956), Swingle (1896), Forel (i&)6a-c, 

 1897, 1899-1900, 1901), Sampaio (1894), Goeldi (19050 and b, Forel 

 1905) and J. Huber (1905). I have recently reviewed these authors 

 in a paper on the North American Attii ( 1907*;), to which the reader 

 is referred for many details that cannot be given in this chapter. 



The first important observations on these insects were published by 

 Belt in his interesting volume, " The Naturalist in Nicaragua." He 



FIG. 189. Mycetosoritis harhnani of Texas. (Original.) a. Worker, dorsal view ; 



b, same in profile ; c, male. 



was the first to surmise the use to which the leaves, etc., are put by 

 Atta ceplialotes, concerning which he writes: "Notwithstanding that 

 these ants are so common throughout tropical America, and have 

 excited the attention of nearly every traveller, there still remains much 

 doubt as to the use to which the leaves are put. Some naturalists have 

 supposed that they used them directly as food ; others, that they roof 

 their underground nests with them. I believe the real use they make 

 of them is as a manure, on which grows a minute species of fungus, 

 on which they feed ; that they are, in reality, mushroom growers and 

 eaters. This explanation is so extraordinary and unexpected, that I 

 may be permitted to enter somewhat at length on the facts that led 

 me to adopt it. When I first began my warfare against the ants that 

 attacked my garden, I dug down deeply into some of their nests. In 

 our mining operations we also, on two occasions, carried our excava- 



22 



