Jan. ], 1868.] 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



increased numbers have forced them to feed on all 

 kinds of grass. That, however, has turned out 

 favourably to the ant interest. Eor, while the 

 prairies are being denuded of the stronger grasses, 

 we have a delicate little biennial barley (Hordeum 

 pusillum) that is filling all the naked places. It 

 rises from 3 to G inches, producing fine grain for 

 ant consumption. It matures about the last days 

 of April, and from that time all the agricultural 

 ants are seen packing it home daily through the 

 summer. This species of ant subsists entirely on 

 vegetable seeds. I have sometimes seen them drag 

 a caterpillar 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 ; wheu, to my surprise, 

 it immediately sprang to its feet, and running 

 wildly, succeeded in making its escape. It occurs 

 more frequently, however, that the prisoner does 

 not give up so tamely, 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 aud 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 

 maintains its potent grip upon the now almost 

 helpless prisoner, seize it by the arms, legs, every- 

 where, 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.m. on Sunday, and 

 the head remained alive, retaining sufficient strength 

 by pressing with its antennae 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 particularly 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 

 advancement, and 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 them- 

 selves together in the hole in such maimer 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 pave- 

 ment 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 pave- 

 ment 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, sometimes to the 

 distance of sixty yards, and left on the ground 

 without further care. 



Long-continued rainy seasons, by deeply satu- 

 rating the earth, will dissolve the cement of their 

 cells, flood them, and drown the ants out entirely. 

 I make 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 un- 

 inhabited ant-hills, with pavements still smooth and 

 nude of grass or weeds, indicating that they had 

 been very recently occupied. The missing com- 

 munities were all dead — extinct — had been destroyed 

 by a series of rainy seasons. Then there'were but 

 few of these ant cities to be found that were 

 occupied. But when the drought set in, the earth 

 being no longer filled with water, they began to 

 multiply very rapidly. City after city appeared as 

 the dry weather continued, and now, 1863, at the 

 close of a ten years' drought, they have spread so 

 extensively, that their clean little paved cities are 

 to be seen every fifty or sixty yards, especially along 

 the roadsides, in the prairies, walks in yards and 

 fields, barren rocky places, &c. In beds of heavy 

 grass or weeds, or in deep shady woodlands, they 

 very seldom locate a city. They prefer sunshine and 

 a clear sky. This ant does not work in the heat of 

 the day during hot weather, but makes up the lost 

 time during the night. I have often found them 

 busily engaged at 2 and even 3 o'clock a.m. Before 



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