34 ANTS AND CHILDREN OF THE GARDEN 



CECIL. I can tell you and Ant, too, that there are three 

 colonies of this honey-ant (Myrmecocystus melliger Wesm. 

 subsp. lomaensis Wheeler) within one block of us now, and 

 one of these is not a hundred feet away. Contrary to the 

 rule, this ant works through the heat of the day. It has 

 good eyesight, and, when I first found it, was wild, swift 

 and hard to catch. Mr. Wheeler called this subspecies 

 lomaensis because some specimens were sent him from our 

 Point Loma. 



FLORENCE. I found one of their nests. Part of the 

 dirt they carry out is from the hardpan. They want a 

 good solid roof to hang their honey-jars on. I found a big 

 pile of insect skeletons under a weed near the nest. This 

 ant is black and nearly as large as ours. 



ALBERT. How long may a honey-pot hang to the ceil- 

 ing? 



ANT. For months and perhaps years. Maybe you know 

 some people that would like such a job. 



ALBERT. Why do you think this ant has such good 

 eyesight ? 



CECIL. Because when I come in sight the miners often 

 quit work, and the food carriers hide or run up weeds, and 

 remain still for a time. But they are getting tamer. 



FLORENCE. They work through the hottest part of 

 the day, as you said from 9 a. m. to 5 p. m. They search 

 for food on the cement sidewalk when it is so hot I can't 

 hold my hand on it. 



CECIL. They begin work in the morning, about the 

 time our harvesters quit, and stop in the evening about the 

 time the harvesters begin. In the suburbs of San Diego, 

 during the hottest part of the day, you are likely to find 

 one or more on the sidewalk in nearly any block. 



