62 HABVESTINO ANTS. 



There is every probability that these harvesting' 

 ants will be found all round the shores of the Medi- 

 terranean, but the only points at which I have posi- 

 tively heard of the existence of the habit besides Men- 

 tone, Cannes, and Marseilles, are Capri* and Algiers. 

 I am indebted to Miss Forster for having, during a 

 short visit to Algiers, devoted some time to watching 

 the habits of the ants in a garden at that place. 

 These observations were made in April last (IS 72), 

 when the three following species were watched : — 



(1) Formica {Catcu/I/jpJiis) viatica, a large, long-legged, 

 blackish ant, with orange-red and semi-transparent 

 thorax, which never carried seeds, but lived on animal 

 food, especially flies. (2) Formica {Tapinoma) nigerrima,\ 

 a rather small dusky ant, which brought in some seeds 

 to its nest, but principally " animal food, flies, small 

 worms," &c., and which did not carry the hemp and 

 canary seed strewed in their path, though on one occa- 

 sion when Miss Forster scattered some split hemp seed, 

 they eagerly fastened upon the contents, and ate some 

 on the spot, while they transjDorted the greater part to 

 their nest, and (3) Atta harbara, which, as on the 

 Hiviera, was a true and most active harvester, and 

 eagerly seized upon the hemp and canary seed when 

 these were placed in its way. 



Recapitulation and Concluding Remarks. 



There are some points of interest suggesting open- 

 ings for future observation, to which I will now allude, 



* Where a harvester, probably AUa harbara, has been observed by Mr. 

 Buchanan White. See Appendix C. 



t Mr. Smith thinks that this ant is either F. nigerrima, of Nyhander, or a 

 new species, but it was not possible for him to pronounce with absolute 

 certainty as he had only two specimens of workers from which to judge. 



