118 
The workers of this species (which are the individuals ordinarily 
seen) are only 1.4 mm. long. ‘The second article of the abdominal 
peduncle is articulated to the front end of the oval abdomen, and is 
transversely oval, viewed from above, conspicuously broader than 
long, and almost smooth. The first article is narrowed forwards, 
of cylindrical form, thickened posteriorly and above. The head is 
smooth; the clypeus bears two longitudinal, parallel ridges, and is 
minutely bi-dentate on the anterior edge; the antenne are ten- 
jointed, the last two joints very large, forming a club by themselves ; 
the mandibles are expanded towards the tips and terminate with a 
row of teeth; the maxillary and labial palpi are bi-articulate; the 
body is rather abundantly provided with long hairs, and these are 
especially conspicuous upon the legs; ‘the thorax is but slightly 
depressed above, and the metanotum ‘has neither teeth nor spines. 
INJURIES. 
On the 6th of June, at Normal, just as the corn was appearing 
above the ground, it was observed that these ants were very abund- 
ant in many fields, both old and new, usually collected about the 
kernels of corn in the earth. It was at first supposed that they 
were in attendance upon plant-lice, but their frequent occurrence in 
hills where no plant-lice were to be seen, negatived this supposition. 
Often the kernels of corn about which they were collected were 
enawed and hollowed out, with the ants in the cavity. Plants which 
were thus attacked were invariably shorter than others adjacent, 
having a stunted appearance. This same species was noticed again, 
very abundant, in many other fields on the 12th of June, and a 
kernel which had apparently been originally sound, was found 
gnawed away, the substance of it being drawn out and scattered 
about in the earth, after the manner of ants.* 
On the 15th, several of these specimens were brought to the 
Laboratory. and placed in a tin box with earth. ‘l'his was connected 
with another box containing earth in which some kernels of corn 
were placed. After two days, these ants began work, biting and 
tearing out pieces of the kerneis and dragging them away, a ‘single 
ant often carrying a fragment as large as the head of a pin. 
In the strawberry field, their work was but rarely seen. Here, 
selecting the largest and ripest berries, a little group of them would 
soon bury themselves almost out of sight in a cavity gnawed out 
of the fleshy fruit. 
*These insects do not swallow the solid portion of their foo], but tear and lick it away, 
appropriating only the fluids of the substance fed upon, This peculiar method of feeding 
makes it impossible to determine the food of ants by dissection. Four of the very sveci- 
mens which had been previously taken in the act of destroying kernels of corn, were most 
Gareful y dissected, and the contents of their alimentary canals were d splayed on glass 
slides and studied with the microscope. No starch grains or other solid particles were 
visible, neither did the contents of their intestines give the starch reaction with iodine, 
