69 



The other nest " A " has a queen, and with it there has 

 been no trouble, for they have kept themselves well supplied 

 from whatever I have olFered them on their feeding ground, 

 whether rose leaves, plumbago or quis-qualis. 



Each forager drops her portion of leaf in the nest, which 

 is taken up as required by the small workers, and carried to a 

 clear space in the nest to be cleaned. This is done with their 

 mandibles, and if considered too large it is cut into smaller 

 pieces. It is then taken in hand by the larger Avorkers, who 

 lick it Avith their tongues. Then comes the most important 

 jiart, which almost always is done by the larger Avorkers, Avho 

 manipulate it betAveen their mandibles, mostly standing on three 

 legs. The portion of leaf is turned round and round bctAveen 

 the mandibles, the ant xising her palpi, tongue, her three legs 

 and her antennaj Avhile doing so. It now becomes a small, 

 almost black ball, varying in size from a mustard seed to the 

 finest dust shot, according to the size of the piece of leaf that 

 has been manipulated. The size of the piece of leaf is from an 

 §• by §■ of an inch, to ^ by ;j of an inch. 



I do not Avish it to be understood that only one class of 

 Avorkers manipulate the leaf, for all seem to take to it A^ery 

 kindly on emergency. Even the smallest workers Avill bring 

 their tiny ball to where the fungus bed is being prepared. 



These balls, really pulp, are built on to an edge of the 

 fungus bed by the larger AVorkers, and are slightly smoothed 

 doAvn as the Avork proceeds. The ncAV surface is then planted 

 by the smaller Avorkers, by slips of the fungus brought from 

 the older parts of the nest. Each plant is planted separately 

 and they knoAv exactly Iioav far apart the plants should be. It 

 sometimes looks as if the plants had been put in too scantily in 

 places, yet in about 40 hours if the humidity has l)een properly 

 regulated, it is all evenly covered Aviih a mantle, as if of very 

 fine snoAV. 



It is this fungus tlicy cat, and with small portions of it the 

 AVorkers feed the larA'te. 



J. EDWARD TANNER. 



Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, 



30th July, 1892. 



