142 HOMES WITHOUT HANDS. 



therein a series of beautifully made cells, for the protection of the 

 future brood. 



Turn we first to some exotic Ants which inhabit tropical 

 America. 



I have felt considerable doubt whether the Sauba, or Coushie 

 Ant (GEcodoma cephalotes), ought to be reckoned among the bur- 

 rowers or the builders, inasmuch as it makes large excavations 

 below the ground, and raises dome-like edifices on its surface. 

 As, however, the burrows are very much larger than the build- 

 ings, I shall place it with the former class, reserving for the cor- 

 responding example of the building-insects the Termites, whose 

 edifices are more important than their burrows. It must first be 

 mentioned that, although this species has often been described as 

 the Visiting Ant, it is in reality a distinct species, as will be seen 

 in the course of a few pages. 



The Saiiba Ant is restricted to tropical America, where it ex- 

 ists in such vast profusion, that it oftentimes takes forcible pos- 

 session of the land, and drives out the human inhabitants who 

 have cultivated and planted it. Broad columns of these ants 

 may be seen marching along, each individual carrying in its 

 jaws a circular piece of leaf, about the size of a sixpence, which 

 is held vertically by one of its edges. In the British Museum 

 there is a specimen of a Saiiba Ant, with the leaf still grasped in 

 its jaws, the ruling passion strong in death. From this curious 

 habit the creature is sometimes called the Parasol Ant, and many 

 persons have thought that the leaves are carried in order to pro- 

 tect the insect against the hot sunbeams. The real reason, how- 

 ever, has been discovered by Mr. H. W. Bates, who has studied 

 with great care the habits of this remarkable insect, and has dis- 

 entangled its history from many doubts and difficulties. 



There are, as is usual with all ants, three distinct ranks — 

 namely, the winged, the large -headed, or soldiers, as they are 

 popularly called, and the ordinary workers. The large -headed 

 individuals are subdivided into two classes, namely, the smooth- 

 heads and rough -heads, the former wearing a polished, horny, 

 translucent helmet, and the head of the latter being opaque and 

 covered with hair. The large-headed ants do no ostensible work, 

 all the labor falling to the lot of the workers. These creatures 

 make raids upon the trees, always giving the preference to culti- 

 vated trees, such as the orange and the coffee, and cut away the 



