256 HENRY C. MCCOOK. 



double hill at Warrior's Mark, (19 by 47 feet), presented a peculiarity 

 which I have observed in several other hills. On the northern face it 

 was almost entirely deserted. The rains had washed oflf the outside 

 covering or roof", exposing the inside structure. This part of the hill 

 was abandoned by the ants, with the exception of occasional stragglers; 

 but on the other sides the insects swarmed, and on the western, south- 

 ern and northeastern faces the work of construction was progressing 

 rapidly. ^ 



Abandoned Hills.— At Camp Riddle the number of hills wholly 

 abandoned was quite small ; at Warrior's Mark fully one-fourth of the 

 whole number reported were uninhabited. Many a romance of ant 

 life lies hidden within those silent moss-covered mounds. Could one 

 uncover those lost pages of natural history he would doubtless unfold 

 a tale which would sufficiently account for such wholesale and appa- 

 rently unreasonable migrations. There would appear " moving acci- 

 dents by flood and field," such as fierce showers and flooded grounds, 

 inroads of neighboring clans pressing siege and waging battle, with 

 the attendant loss of life, treasure and home. Stray cattle, swine, 

 mischievous boys and perhaps foraging bears would render " perils in 

 the imminent deadly breach." Besides all these good and sufficient 

 reasons for abandoning old quarters that have become uncomfortable, 

 no doubt ants have their whims and fancies, and probably like their 

 human fellow-workers sometimes " change the place and keep the 

 pains," or even fall upon a worse estate. I have thought that some 

 of these abandoned hills have been reoccupied as they carry a moss 

 grown and ancient appearance, although in full activity. Very much 

 is yet to be learned of the local migrations of these communities, which 

 might give a clue to other unknown habits. But the study requires 

 an observer within easy reach at all seasons of the year. 



Family Groups.— We turn our attention now to the growth and 

 structure of the ant hills. PI. Ill is a view of a group of eleven 

 mounds, seven of which are represented in the photograph. They 

 are of various sizes, and as will readily be seen are grouped around 

 a central mound, which may be called the mother hill from which 

 they have evidently grown. The same tendency to cast off '^ shoots," 

 and form a hill cluster or family, is shown in the hill figured at PI. II. 

 This large hill is surrounded by six others at distances varying from 

 4 to 15 feet. PI. IV exhibits the same feature, the two small hills 

 on either side being growths from the large central mound. X\\ these 

 secondary hills were small, from 4 to 6 feet in circumference at the 



