Queer Friendships 



In the spring, when the young aphides hatch, they are 

 transferred by the ants to the roots of various wild grasses. 

 In fine weather the "cattle" are taken from their roots 

 and placed to browse on the grasses above ground, but in 

 cold weather and at nights they are taken back to the 

 ants' nests. No mother could care for her young more 

 tenderly than the ants tend their adopted offspring. As 

 the season advances and the Indian corn begins to grow, 

 the ants transfer their charges from the wild grasses to 

 the roots of the cereal. 



Now the first-born aphides are all females and they 

 soon begin to lay eggs ; these, in turn, are assiduously 

 tended by the ants, till at length a large colony arises 

 and the ants are kept busy transferring their charges to 

 the most favourable feeding-grounds, always on the corn 

 roots. All the while the Indian corn plants survive and 

 afford nourishment for the aphides the latter are entirely 

 wingless. When, however, the roots become tough and 

 woody or shrivel up, a generation of winged and wingless 

 forms arises. 



These winged forms are females whose one desire is 

 to escape to more favourable feeding-grounds. The ants, 

 however, not to be balked of their "cattle," clip off the 

 wings of these individuals, so that escape is impossible, and 

 their progeny are, therefore, saved to the ant community. 

 The aphis is thus wholly dependent upon the ant for its 

 existence and, in return, yields a copious supply of 

 " honey dew " to its insect masters. That the aphides bear 

 no malice to their masters is shown in many ways ; except 

 for the winged forms, they never attempt to escape from 

 captivity nor do they ever use their tubercles against the 

 ants ; moreover, they give off honey dew more gently and 

 more freely when attended by ants than when living 

 alone. Ants, on the other hand, never kill or injure their 

 charges as they frequently do other defenceless insects ; in 

 fact, they protect them. They place them in the most 

 favourable feeding-places, build chambers round them, 



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