164 AM-IANA. 



extending in different directions, leading to the trees or bushes to which 

 the ants resorted to obtain food from the ajjhides, of which they had no 

 less than five species feeding on diflerent sorts of trees. 



1 was much interested in observing the care and concern the ants 

 manifested for these insects, and the expedients they employed to pre- 

 serve them from rival ants and their enemies. I noticed they were very 

 industriously engaged in collecting small pieces of sticks and leaves to- 

 gether, and placing them round the foot of the tree and bushes on which 

 the aphides were feeding, thus forming a kind of tube or enclosure sev- 

 eral inches in height; they had also constructed arches over the roots 

 of one of the trees, which were nearly on a level with the surface of 

 the ground. On examining these arches, I found they contained aphides 

 surrounded by ants. 



One of the trees (a beech,) had a cavity on one side of the trunk, 

 extending about two feet from the ground, which the ants had arched 

 over in a very ingenious manner with small pieces of bark and leaves, 

 in which they had secured a portion of their stock of aphides. These 

 enclosures communicated with the excavated roads which led to the nest, 

 which was located in a partly decayed log. 



The nest was constructed by removing portions of the decayed sub- 

 stance, and leaving that which was of a firmer texture, thus forming nu- 

 merous cells and cavities, in which they had a large quantity of larvae. 



Tliis species of ants appears to be of a migratory character. Hav- 

 ing disturbed them to ascertain whether the colony was numerous, I 

 found them on the following day busily engaged in carrying away the 

 larvae. In following the train, I found they were migrating to a new 

 settlement about ten yards distant, among some large stones. They were 

 employed three or four days m removing to their new abode. 



About the same time, 1 met with another colony of the same species 

 removing to a new nest, and on tracing them, I discovered the old nest 

 about 100 yards distant. 



Being infornied that there were some ant hills a few miles from my 

 house, I went to see them. Tliey were situated on the top and south 

 side of an elevated piece of wood land. These ant hills were the larg- 

 est I had ever seen : some of them were two feet six inches in height, 

 and from ten to fifteen feet in circumference at the base. On opening 

 one of these hills, I found it contained a great number of galleries, or 

 avenues, along which ants were moving in great numbers. These mounds 

 seemed to have been formed by removing the earth from below, and pla- 

 cing it outside. There were about 40 of them on a space of ground, 

 not exceeduig two acres, and some of them were within a few yards of 



