808 Insect Architecture. 



was ignorant of the real history of the ant, and was taking 

 up a popular fallacy. 



[Still, although the ants of the old world are chiefly 

 carnivorous, or feed on soft substances, and in consequence 

 have not the least idea of hoarding food for the winter, there 

 is one species of Brazilian ant which absolutely builds house^ 

 prepares ground, sows seed, reaps the grain, and stores it 

 away for future consumption. It is the Agricultural Ant, 

 Atta malefaciens, first described by Dr. Lincecum, who watched 

 the insect for twelve years before publishing an account that 

 he knew would at first be received with incredulity. The 

 following abstract of his paper appeared in the Journal of 

 the Linmean Society. 



[" The species which I have named ' Agricultural ' is a 

 large brownish ant. It dwells in what may be termed 

 paved cities, and like a thrifty, diligent, provident farmer, 

 makes suitable and timely arrangements for the changing 

 seasons. It is, in short, endowed with skill, ingenuity, and 

 untiring patience, sufficient to enable it successfully to 

 contend with the varying exigencies which it may have to 

 encounter in the life conflict. 



[" When it has selected a situation for its habitation, if on 

 ordinary dry ground, it bores a hole, around which it raises 

 the surface three and sometimes six inches, forming a low 

 circular mound, having a very gentle inclination from the 

 centre to the outer border, which on an average is three or 

 four feet from the entrance. But if the location is chosen 

 on low, flat, wet land, liable to inundation, though the 

 ground may be perfectly dry at the time the ant sets to 

 work, it nevertheless elevates the mound, in the form of a 

 pretty sharp cone, to the height of fifteen or twenty inches or 

 more, and makes the entrance near the summit. Around the 

 mound, in either case, the ant clears the ground of all 

 obstructions, and levels and marks the surface to the distance 

 of three or four feet from the gate of the city, giving the 

 space the appearance of a handsome pavement, as it really is. 



[" Within this paved area not a blade of any green thing is 

 allowed to grow, except a single species of grain-bearing 



