154 NOTES ON QUEENSLAND ANTS, 
plant lice to their nests, and there as foster-parents to tend them 
until they are hatched, when they can avail themselves of the 
food supplies to be derived from the resulting animated sugar- 
pots, whilst these are still under their care. Moreover, those 
ants which milk aphides are not exclusively confined to this 
class of food, as may be easily observed. The ants at present 
under consideration do par excellence feed on grass seeds, which 
they also store up, and in case of partaking of other food, at 
such times as grass seed cannot be obtained, reject a considerable 
portion of it around the approaches to their formicary. 
This harvesting ant is not uncommon in the neighbourhood 
of Brisbane, and is very plentiful in the Botanical Gardens, 
where its nests are usually surrounded by an accumulation of 
the glumes of Eragrostis brownii. It is to be hoped that it is 
not responsible for any want of success which may have 
succeeded sowings of small flower seeds by the gardeners of 
that establishment; but, though the present writer does not 
wish to: impute any such action to these little emmets, in 
explanation of a probable occurrence which may be accounted 
for by other considerations, usually found in the mind of the 
experienced gardener, he cannot help calling to mind what Mr. 
Jerdon has written concerning Pheidole providens (Sykes) West. 
—the ants which were the subject of his observations. It is as 
follows :—‘‘ They carry off large quantities of seeds of various 
kinds, especially the small grass seeds, and as every gardener 
knows to his cost, more especially garden seeds. They will 
take off cabbage, celery, raddish, carrot and tomato seeds, but 
are particularly partial to light lettuce seeds, and in some 
gardens, unless the pots in which they are sown be suspended 
or otherwise protected, the whole of the seeds sown will be 
removed in one night. I have also had many packets of seeds 
(especially lettuce) in my room completely emptied before I was 
aware that the ants had discovered them.” * 
~ * 7. C. Jerdon, An. and Mag. of N. H., Series 2, 1854, Vol. -XIIL., p. 50. 
