66 HARVESTING ANTS. 



had been in June preceding ; one heap contained a double 

 handful of grass-seeds. It is probable that the Atta pro- 

 videns is a field species of ant, as I have not observed it 

 in the houses." 



c. 



After the appearance of a brief notice of a communication 

 •which I sent in the winter of 1871-72 to the London Ento- 

 mological Society, announcing the fact that certain ants harvest 

 seeds in a systematic way at Mentone, two papers were pub- 

 lished, in which confirmatory evidence of the existence of the 

 habit in other parts of the world was set forth — one by Mr. 

 Buchanan White, and the other by the late Mr. Home. 



Mr. Home's account of his observations was published in 

 Eardwicke's Science Gossip, No. 89, p. 109 (for May 1, 1872), 

 and runs as follows :* — 



" My notes carry me to the far East, where I have often 

 watched this most interesting class of insects, and briefly 

 recorded my observations — unfortunately cut short by illness, 

 and the necessity of return to Europe, which must be my 

 apology for their want of completeness. 



" But before transcribing, I would remind my general reader 

 that all ants may be seen carrying off food to their nests for 

 present consumption, and that this food consists of a great 

 variety of substances. This is disposed of inside the said nest, 

 being often masticated, and the juice extracted by the workers, 

 and then given in an inspissated form from their mouths to 

 the young grubs, which are in general tended by their nurses 

 with the greatest care. It is indeed very curious to watch 

 this feeding process ; but to proceed. 



" Under date Nov. 7th, 1866, I find in my natural history 

 note-book as follows : — Mainpuri. This morning as I was 

 walking across the ' Oosur/ or waste plain, where it was very 

 sandy, being cut into small ravines, and clothed only here and 

 there with fine grass disposed in clumps, thus forming little 

 hillocks of sand blown by the wind, and arrested in its course 



* I omit the prelimiuary portion, in which my observations are erroneously 

 stated to have been made at Nismes and Capri. 



