NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 447 



grass seeds to dry from their cellars. Every ant-hill in the vicinity had more 

 or less seed strown around their outer doors. A few days later we visited the 

 same locality, and the seeds had disappeared, having doubtless been stored 

 away again by the ants. 



They cannot carry as heavy burdens as the cutting ant (Myrmica Texana) 

 nor do they, like that ant, place their load upon their backs, but carry it with 

 their mandibles and head; and, whatever they wish to take home, 'is, if too 

 large, cut into segments to be thus transported. 



The stinging ants are generally peaceable in their habits, rarely fighting 

 with other species, or among themselves. In one or two instances we have 

 noticed two different houses, situated a few rods distant, connected by a well 

 beaten path, along which ants were passing back and forth, from one house 

 to the other, in the greatest harmony ; but one of these may have been a colony 

 founded by the other. 



Once we noticed two of these ants, which probably belonged to different 

 houses, combating in an ant-path, along which a few ants were passing to and 

 fro. Occasionally one of these would stop a moment, look at the contest and 

 pass on. The struggle was obstinate and long. We became tired of the si-ht 

 and, after considerable trouble, succeeded in parting them, both being quite 

 lame. One we put far away, and left the other walking slowly around in 

 search of his enemy, when, on reaching the path, he seized the first ant he met 

 and the fight was more animated than ever, one of the parties being robust 

 and untired. Suddenly they stopped, looked a moment, and then began 

 caressing each other, soon after which they started side by side for their 

 town, not far distant. It seemed as if the first fighter, blinded by rage had 

 lastly fought his own brother. We have been stung several times by them 

 and think the pain about equal to that caused by the sting of the honey-bee! 



Descriptions of New Carboniferous Fossils from Illinois and other Western 



States. 



BY F. B. MEEK AND A. H. WORTHEN, 



Of the Illinois State Geological Survey.* 



ZOOPHYTA. 



SPHENOPOTERIUM, (new gen.) 



o-pm, a wedge ; 7ror^iov, a cup. 



Corallum free, (or attached?) cuneate or irregularly subturbinate, and pro- 

 vided with a few large inseparable cells, which increase in number by lateral 

 and interstitial development. External wall rather dense, but perforated by a 

 few pores, which seem to terminate in the cancellated substance of the coral 

 without reaching the cells ; surface marked by numerous fine anasto- 

 mosing striae. Cells circular, or when crowded, more or less angular ; without 

 diaphragms, columella, or well developed rays, their walls being merely 

 marked by distinct vertical stria?, and pierced by numerous pores which appear 



Illustrations with more extended descriptions, remarks, &c. , to appear in the 

 forthcoming report of the Illinois survey. 



Note. While investigating the fossils described in this and our paper published in the 

 last number of the Proceedings, we have been placed uader many obligations to the Sec- 

 retary of the Smithsonian Institution, for the free use of the extensive collections of 

 works on Palaeontoloy, Geology, and various branches of Natural History, belonging 10 

 the Smithsonian library. Also, for the use of rooms in the Institution, and for access 10 

 the large and rapidly accumulating geological and palaeontological collections in the 

 Smithsonian Museum. 



I860.] 



