148 A NATURALIST IN THE GUIANAS 



deposited their loads are issuing in search of fresh 

 material for their gardens, for these little workers are 

 agriculturists of a high type. The ants hurrying to and 

 from the mounds are the foragers. Those who have 

 made a close study of the habits of these ants say that 

 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 charge by the 

 larger workers, who lick it with their tongues. Then 

 comes the most important part, which almost always is 

 done by the larger workers, who manipulate it between 

 their mandibles, mostly standing on three legs. The 

 portion of leaf is turned round and round between the 

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

 and her antennae while 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 one-eighth by one-eighth of an inch, to one- 

 quarter by one-quarter of an inch. It must not be under- 

 stood that only one class of workers manipulate the leaf, 

 for all seem to take to it very kindly on emergency. 

 Even the smallest workers will 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 workers, and are slightly smoothed down as 

 the work proceeds. The new surface is then planted 

 by the smaller workers with slips of the fungus brought 

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

 separately, and they know exactly how far apart the 

 plants should be. It sometimes looks as if the plants had 



