254 HENRY C. MCCOOK. 



hills, the remainder being estimated. One acre contained 33 liills, 

 another 25, a fair average (29), of the distribution over the field. 

 Through the kindness of Mr. P]dgar 15. Kay,* a young gentleman in 

 attendance upon the Mountain Seminary at Birmingham, this may 

 be compared with the distribution at two other points in the north- 

 eastern end of this (Blair) County. At Warrior's Mark one section 

 of 2 acres contained 55 hills; another section of 2'- acres contained 

 V4 hills. This gives an average distribution of about 30 to the acre. 

 In the second section, however, 20 hills were abandoned, and covered 

 with moss and grass. At Pine Hill the ant colony is quite as exten- 

 sive as that at Camp Riddle, and the hills even more thickly placed. 

 About 30 acres are occupied, of which 5 were carefully surveyed and 

 found to contain 293 hills, an average distribution of 59 to the acre. 

 The whole colony was estimated to number about 1800 hills, quite 

 evenly distributed over the section. 



Colonies. — The fact that these mounds are found commonly if not 

 always in Colonies attracted my attention ; but I was not able to find 

 any reason for it, beyond the conjecture that the unequal distribution 

 of farms along the mountains has left certain sections, undisturbed 

 by the plough and the ordinary discomforts of civilization, to these 

 children of nature. It is probable, as suggested to me by Judge 

 Caldwell, a citizen of Ilollidaysburg, that the ants follow the sand 

 beltf and keep for the most part to the mountain sides. The colony 

 at Camp Riddle is quite near the foot of Brush mountain, most of 

 the mounds being upon the slopes. A series of ridges and hills runs 

 between Brush and Tussey mountains from tlie lower end of Sinking 

 Valley beyond Warrior's Mark, along which the ant-mounds appear to 

 be scattered. They are placed on the western and northern faces of 



* Mr. Kay undertook and most intelligently conducted a series of observa- 

 tions upon points which I furnished him. The references in this paper to all 

 observations made at Warrior's Mark and Pine Hill are frotn his notes. 



f From the same gentleman I learned that the Brush mountain is a spur of 

 the Cove mountain. Cove mountain is a long range of mountains extending 

 from the northern part of Pennsylvania, southward through Virginia, having 

 various names in different sections. Both sides of Brush mountain correspond 

 in geological character'stics with the western side of Cove mountain; which 

 differs much from the eastern side. On the West is found the sand rock; on 

 the East instead of the sand rock is found slate. I will be obliged to those to 

 whom these lines may come for any information in their possession which will 

 aid in detennining the distribution of these ants throughout this State and other 

 States; and also whether they confine their colonies to the sand belt. 



