326 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OP 



subsists entirely on vegetable seeds. I have sometimes seen them drag a cat- 

 terpillar or a crippled grasshopper into their hole, that had been thrown upon 

 the pavement, but I have never observed them carrying any such things home 

 that they had captured themselves. I do not think they eat much animal 

 food. 



I have often seen them have prisoners, always of their own species. I could 

 not discover the nature of the offence that led to the arrestment ; still I have 

 no doubt as to the fact of its being so, and that the prisoner is very roughly 

 forced along contrary to its inclination. There is never more than a single 

 guard having charge of a prisoner, who by some means having obtained the 

 advantage, and attacking from behind, had succeeded in seizing it with the 

 mandibles over the smallest part of its back, and so long as it maintains this 

 grip, it is out of the reach of harm from the prisoner. 



In some cases the prisoner quietly submits, and folding up its legs, forces 

 the captor to carry it along like a dead ant, as I thought it really was, 

 until I caused its captor to drop it ; when, to my surprise, it immediately 

 sprang to its feet, and, running wildly, succeeded in making its escape. It oc- 

 curs more frequently, however, that the prisoner does not give up so tarnely, 

 but continues to make every effort to rid itself of its detainer. I have many 

 times observed the prisoner manifesting all the indications of terror and great 

 reluctance at being so unceremoniously dragged along. It will lay hold of 

 and cling to everything that comes in reach, and by this means greatly 

 retard the progress of its captor. When at last they arrive on the city pave- 

 ment, half a dozen or more of the national guard, who are always on duty, 

 rush upon the prisoner, aiding the seemingly fatigued captor, who still main- 

 tains its potent grip upon the now almost helpless prisoner, seize it by the 

 arms, legs, everywhere, and in a very rough manner hurry it down into the 

 entrance to the city, and out of the reach of further observation. 



The agricultural ant is very tenacious of life. I dissevered the head of one 

 at 4 P. It. on Sunday, and the head remained alive, retaining sufficient strength by 

 pressing with its antenna; against the slip of glass upon which it lay to move 

 itself and change its position, until 10 A. M. the next day. 



It seems to be an established law amongst all species of ants, and particu- 

 larly with the species in question, that when any disaster occurs to their city, 

 the first thing to be done is to take care of the young, and, if possible, secure 

 their safety; and so, when by any accident one of their cities gets torn up, it 

 will be seen that they universally rush to the nursery apartment ; and every 

 one that can, takes up an egg, the pupa?, the young in any stage of advance- 

 ment, ami will save its life or lose its own. As far as I can understand and 

 read their actions, every one understands its duty, and will do it or lose its 

 life. I have observed the guards, when a sudden shower of rain would come 

 up, run to the entrance of the city, and there meeting with another party 

 coming up from below, would crowd themselves together in the hole in such 

 manner as to form a complete obstruction to the ingress of the water, and 

 there remain overwhelmed with the accumulating rain until it ceased. If the 

 shower continues over fifteen minutes, they are found to be still closely wedged 

 in the aperture and all dead ; and there they remain until the balance of the 

 pavement guards, who during the shower had climbed some weed or blade of 

 grass that grew near the border of the pavement, come down, and with some 

 difficulty succeed in taking them out. They are immediately taken to some 

 dry place on the pavement and exposed to the open air half an hour at least; 

 after which, if they do not revive, they are taken off from the pavement, some- 

 times to the distance of sixty yards, and left on the ground without further 

 care. 



Long-continued rainy seasons, by deeply saturating the earth, will dissolve 

 the cement of their cells, flood them, and drown the ants out entirely. I have 

 allusion now only to the agricultural species of the genus. The first year after 

 my arrival in Texas, I noticed that there were a great many uninhabited ant 



[Nov. 



