NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 235 



the banks of rivers and streams, whose water gives the ants drink, and where 

 food can easily be had from the trees and bushes usually found growing on the 

 banks of streams in all prairie lands. 



At the large ant den in Austin, before spoken of, millions of working ants, 

 and bushels of eggs and larva?, with great numbers of males and females, were 

 destroyed. As soon as a large apartment containing the eggs, larva? and 

 winged ants was found, a fire was kindled forthwith among them, for which pur- 

 pose, light, combustible stuff was kept near. The eggs were of different sizes, 

 belonging to opposite sexes, also showing, probably, that they grow, and were 

 in a greater or less advanced stage of development. The workers at first are 

 very small, scarcely a line in length. The eggs mixed with minute young ants, 

 were in a soft, grey spongy substance, apparently leaves, finely triturated and 

 mixed with an animal secretion. 



It is said they sometimes abandon their caves, when from long residence the 

 chambers become filthy, or perhaps they are injured by heavy rains, or it may 

 be that the ants desire a better situation for provender. Whatever may be the 

 cause, they have been known to emigrate en masse, and after making new ex- 

 cavations, and dwelling in them a few years, to return again to their old first 

 residence. It is probable that they have a division of labor, some nurse the 

 young, and others provide food. In one instance I saw one cut off a segment 

 of an elm leaf, and another seized it as soon as cut, and carried it away, but 

 generally I have noticed that he who cuts also carries. When cutting, one 

 mandible is inserted, and carried slowly along; the head swaying to and fro, 

 and the other mandible moving its sharp point, apparently breaking the surface 

 to lessen the thickness to be cut by the other. The ant often stands on the 

 part of the leaf which he is cutting off, but he is careful to remove to a firm 

 place before it is finally severed, which done, he seizes one edge of it with his 

 mandibles, and with a rapid movement throws it on his head and thorax, so 

 that its lower edge rests between the lobes of the head and the spines of the 

 thorax, and the upper edge is aloft. Away he goes, and joins the busy throng 

 in the main path, which looks as if the ants had a gala day, and were march- 

 ing with banners flying. Lately, on the banks of the Colorado river, near 

 Austin, I saw multitudes of ants in their path, going up hill with fragments of 

 leaves, and hack berries, (celtis,) some entire, and others with a small portion 

 cut off, to render them lighter and suitable to be carried by the smaller ants. 

 The place at which they entered the ground was about six feet from the top of 

 the bank. This pathway was steep, and even perpendicular, for a distance of 

 five or six inches, at a place about one foot below their doorway. The labor 

 was severe to carry the berries up this path, but the struggle was great to 

 get them to the top of the perpendicular spot. In performing this feat the 

 berry carriers met with many falls, often rolling one and two feet down the hill 

 but always sticking fast to their burdens, and trying again until they finally 

 triumphed. One fell when near the top, and as he came up again, and was 

 about to succeed, I touched his load with the point of a knife, and down it 

 and ant went. His third attempt was put to the same test, but even then, he 

 did not get angry, or show the least impatience, but cheerfully took his berry, 

 and went up and in at the door of the long avenue. 



A lady lately showed me a safe where she kept sugar and sweetmeats, which 

 drew swarms of small ants. The legs of the safe were then placed in vessels of 

 water, and the ants did not succeed in reaching the sweets during several days, 

 but finally many of them were found in the sugar. After some little study to 

 discover how they got there, they were seen to drop on the safe from the roof 

 at the distance of about two feet above. These, however, were not the cutting 

 ants, and I only mention their feats because they are similar to those related 

 of ants by an East India officer. A gentleman told me that he suspended 

 sugar by a string from a rafter in his house, to keep it from ants, but they went 

 up and came down the string. They also were not the cutting ants, which 

 rarely, if ever, enter houses. 



I860] 



