200 TENANTS OF AN OLD FARM. 



subnulled some of my specimens to the microscope, 

 and they did show fungus growtlis, but that is only 

 what might be expected in such dark, underground en- 

 vironment. I believe that the chief food of the ants is 

 tlie juice of the leaves which they gather, although they 

 are not confined to that diet. I saw one immense 

 cohunn, for example, engaged in j)lundering a granary 

 of wheat, which was being carried away, grain by grain, 

 to the nest." 



"Have they any preference among the trees Avhich 

 tliey defoliate ?" asked Abby. 



"Yes; a decided preference. The principal leaves 

 gathered at my camp were those of the live-oak. The 

 great tree above the mound was, in some parts, stripped 

 to the very top. The young saplings in the neighbor- 

 hood were in great part or wholly stripped. Some wild 

 vine unknown to me was an especial firvorite, but some 

 plants stood in the little tliicket around quite untouched. 

 I thought it curious, by-the-way, that the workers 

 showed a preference for beginning their operations at 

 the topmost or outmost twigs of the branches. A 

 cliina-tree which I observed showed one side nearly 

 stripped of leaves, while the other side was untouched. 

 (Fig. 89.) 



"I visited the grounds of an intelligent nurseryman 

 near Austin, and learned from him many interesting 

 facts. The ants prefer trees with a smooth leaf, are 

 severe upon grapes, peaches, china-tree, radishes ; take 

 celery, beets, young corn and wheat, plum, pomegran- 

 ate, honeysuckle, cape jessamine, cape myrtle, althea. 



