THE GREEN ANT. 273 



ence of the nest. The latter insect fixes its nest in the thicker 

 branches, and forms it of mixed mud and leaves. 



At the foot of the illustration is seen another rounded nest, 

 also made by an ant called CEcophylla virescens. Travelers know 

 it by the name of the Green Ant ; a title which is very insuffi- 

 cient, as it embraces several other species. The name of CEco- 

 phylla is compounded of two Greek words, the former signifying 

 a house, and the second a leaf, and is given to this insect because 

 it makes its home of dead leaves. 



This ant is sometimes very troublesome to travelers, who may 

 unconsciously disturb one of the nests that hang among the 

 branches, nearly concealed by the leaves. The ants come patter- 

 ing down like hail-drops, and in a moment he will be covered 

 with a whole swarm of them, seeking for unprotected parts which 

 they can wound, and having a special faculty for getting down 

 the neck. 



The nest is about eight inches in diameter, and is made in a 

 very singular manner. The general mass of its substance is com- 

 posed of leaves which have been cut by the ants and masticated 

 until they form a coarse pulp, something like that which is made 

 by the wasp and hornet, except that the material is green leaves 

 instead of wood fibres. With this substance the nest is formed, 

 and is hung among the thickest foliage, being sustained not only 

 by the branches, but by the leaves, which are worked into the 

 nest, and in many parts project from its outer wall. The outside 

 of the nest is easily to be distinguished from that of the Crema- 

 togaster by the smoothness and regularity of its walls. A spe- 

 cies of this genus inhabits Africa, and was discovered by Mr. Fox- 

 croft, who noticed that whenever the ants were disturbed, they 

 ran about the outside of their nest so fast and in such numbers, 

 that their pattering steps on the papery covering of the nest de- 

 luded him into the idea that rain was falling on the leaves 

 above. 



Before describing the third nest in the illustration, which is 

 the workmanship of a wasp, I will briefly mention one or two re- 

 markable instances of pensile nests made by ants. One species, 

 Formica bipinosa, which inhabits Central America, makes use of 

 the silk-cotton which is produced by the seed-vessels of the cot- 

 ton-tree {Bomhax ceiba), and makes it into a sponge-like mass, 



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