134 IDLE DAYS IN PATAGONIA 



exclusively agricultural in its habits, and con- 

 structs subterranean galleries, in which it stores 

 fresh leaves in amazing quantities. The leaves 

 are not eaten, but are cut up into small pieces and 

 arranged in beds: these beds quickly become 

 frosted over with a growth of minute fungus ; this 

 the ant industriously gathers and stores for use, 

 and when the artificial bed is exhausted the with- 

 ered leaves are carried out to make room for a 

 layer of fresh ones. Thus the GEcodoma literally 

 grows its own food, and in this respect appears to 

 have reached a stage beyond the most highly de- 

 veloped ant communities hitherto described. An- 

 other interesting fact is that, although the leaf- 

 cutters have a peaceful disposition, never show- 

 ing resentment except when gratuitously inter- 

 fered with, they are just as courageous as any 

 purely predatory species, only their angry emo- 

 tions and warlike qualities always appear to be 

 dominated by reason and the public good. Occa- 

 sionally a community of leaf -cutters goes to war 

 with a neighboring colony of ants of some other 

 species; in this, as in everything else, they seem 

 to act with a definite purpose and great delibera- 

 tion. Wars are infrequent, but in all those I have 

 witnessed and I have known this species from 

 childhood the fate of the nation is decided in 

 one great pitched battle. A spacious bare level 

 spot of ground is chosen, where the contending 

 armies meet, the fight raging for several hours 

 at a stretch, to be renewed on several consecutive 



