THE HARVESTING ANT. 



445 



This species is spread largely over the world, and is well 

 known at Mentone. It gathers seeds of various kinds and takes 

 them to its subterranean treasure-houses. The burrows run to 

 a considerable depth, sometLuies passing even through sandstone 

 rock, and at intervals are placed the granaries, which are about 

 as large as a gentleman's watch. They vary in point of depth 

 from the surface, some being fully thirteen inches deep, and 

 others barely two inches. Among the seeds which the INIentone 

 Ants take into their granaries 

 are those of the oat, nettle, 

 speedwell, goosefoot,calaminth, 

 duckweed, amaranth, and shep- 

 herd's purse. They even take 

 the green seed-vessels of the 

 last-mentioned plant, twisting 

 them off neatly with their jaws. 



They are very fastidious as to 

 the quality of the seeds which 

 are brought. A w^orker, which 

 was evidently but a young one, 

 was seen to bring in some rub- 

 bish instead of the proper seed, 

 and was at once sent back. 

 Mr. Moggridge played a trick 

 upon them by placing little 

 beads in their way ; at first 



they took them for seeds and carried them into their nests, 

 but they soon found out their error, and never touched them 

 again. 



With regard to the condition of the seeds, Mr. Moggridge has 

 the following remarks : — 



"It is extremely rare to find other than sound and intact 

 seeds in the granaries, and we must conclude that the Ants 

 exercise some mysterious power over them which checks the 

 tendency to germinate. 



" Apparently, it is not that moisture or warmth or the in- 

 fluence of atmospheric air is denied to the seeds, for we find 

 them in damp soil, in genial weather, and often but a trifling 

 distance below the surface of the grotmd, and I have proved 

 that the vitality of the seeds is not affected, by having raised 



-Aphenogaster barbate. 

 (Black.) 



