HARVESTING ANTS. 15 



cleared up, and I was greatly encouraged in my 

 attempt by the interest exj^ressed in the subject by 

 several of our leading naturalists, among whom I 

 may especially mention Mr. Frederick Smith.* 



Plainly the first thing to do was to determine 

 whether the seeds which I had watched the ants 

 carry to their nests were separately stored in sub- 

 terranean granaries, as they would be if the ant really 

 provides for the future ; or whether they were merely 

 strewed here and there, or used as building materials. 



Next I must, if possible, obtain conclusive evidence 

 as to the use to which the ants put the seeds thus 

 collected ; whether they eat them or turn them to 

 some other account. Again I must observe whether 

 the seed-collecting ants also search for aphides, and 

 what other kinds of food they obtain. Then another 

 very interesting question remained — namely, whether 

 all southern ants uniformly collect seed, and to the 

 same extent, or whether the habit is peculiar to 

 certain species. 



These, and many other subjects of inquiry con- 

 nected with them, readily suggested themselves to 

 my mind, and it will now be my endeavour to show 

 how far I have been able to throw light upon 

 them. 



The habits recorded in the following pages refer 

 exclusively, unless special notice is given to the 

 contrary, to Atta barbara, the black ant represented 

 on Plate I. We have, as far as I am aware, only 

 four bona fide harvesting ants on the Biviera — namely, 

 Atta barbara under two forms, the one wholly black 



* I am very greatly indebted to Mr. Smith for much kind assistance, and 

 especially for having named the specimens which I collected. 



