136 



THE FACTORS 



[Part ] 



unserviceable. Not only leaves, but also flowers, fruits, and seeds, 01 

 portions of them, are carried home. 



The parasol-ants disappear with their booty through the entrance-holes 

 to their nest, which lies either in a shallow natural cavity, as in the cast 

 of the very carefully investigated Atta discigera and A. Hystrix of Soutl- 

 Brazil, or is dug in the ground, as in the case of Atta coronata anc 

 probably of most species. What becomes of the pieces of leaves thai 

 are brought home in such large quantities has until recently remainec 

 an unsolved problem. Bates considered that they were used for lining 

 walls ; MacCook thought they were for the preparation of a kind 

 paper for internal constructions ; Belt, however, advanced the daring 

 hypothesis that the ants cultivated fungi on the decomposing massei 



Fig. 73. A fungus-garden prepared on a plate in three days by hairy ants (Apterostigma IV 

 mentioned in the text on p. 13S) in confinement. Natural size. After Alf. MoUer. 



of leaves. The sagacious 'Naturalist in Nicaragua' had, as usual, hi 

 on the right explanation. Alf. Moller, in a research that presents ■ 

 rare instance in the domain of oecology of acuteness combined witl 

 the critical faculty, has definitely proved the correctness of Belt's often 

 disputed and derided statetnent, 'I believe .... that they are in realit: 

 mushroom-growers and eaters.' 



The imported pieces of leaves serve only to a small extent for coverin; 

 the nests. Most of them are cut up again by the ants and kneadei 

 soft by their feet and mandibles, so that but few cells remain unbruisec 



