FORAGING ANTS. n-j 



portion of the comb on the small central pillar is still left 

 uncovered. 



, As this box had been so successful, another was prepared on 

 the same principle, and the wasps were permitted to reside in 

 it for the same number of days, in which time they produced an 

 equally beautiful but rather more massive nesL In hopes that 

 the wasps might make a still more splendid nest, a much larger 

 box was fitted up, and the insects transferred to it. As by this 

 time the autumn was closing in, and the weather became cold, 

 the wasps could do but little work, and in a short time the)' 

 died. 



Thus, in the wonderfully short space of thirty-eight days, six 

 elaborate and beautiful nests had been made by a single brood 

 of wasps, and it is probable that if the original nest had been 

 taken at an earlier period of the year, they would have made a 

 still larger number. 



In Mr. Bates's valuable work on the natural history of the 

 Amazons, there is an interesting account of the proceedings of 

 certain ants belonging to the genus Eciton^ and which are 

 popularly classed together under the name of Foraging Ants. 

 These insects have often been confounded with the Saiiba or 

 parasol ant, although they belong to different groups and have 

 different habits. The native name for them is Taudca. There 

 are many species belonging to this genus, and I shall therefore 

 restrict myself to those which seem to have the most interesting 

 habits, giving at the same time a general sketch of their cha- 

 racter. I regret that, as in so many other cases, the lack of 

 popular names forces me to employ the scientific titles by 

 which the insects are known to naturalists. 



Although in the Fxitons there are the three classes of males, 

 females, and neuters, these neuters are not divided into two 

 distinct sets as in the Termites, but are found in regular 

 gradations of size. The real Foraging Ant is Eciton drepano- 

 phora, and it is this insect which is so annoying and yet so use- 

 ful to house-holders. The ants sally forth in vast columns, at 

 least a hundred yards in length, though not of very great width 



