Ants. 25 



devotes itself principally to the aphides (fig. 6) 

 which frequent twigs and leaves ; another kind to 

 the aphides which live on the bark of trees ; while 

 the little yellow ant keeps flocks and herds of the 

 aphides which feed on the roots of grasses (fig. 7). 



6. As the honey of the aphides is more or less 

 sticky, it is probably an advantage to the aphis 

 that it should be removed. Nor is this the only 

 service which ants render to them. They protect 

 them from the attacks of enemies ; and not un- 

 frequently even build cowsheds of earth over them. 

 The Yellow Ants collect the root-feeding species 

 (fig. 7) in their nests, and tend them as carefully as 

 their own young. But this is not all. The ants not 

 only guard the mature aphides, which are useful ; 

 but also the eggs of the aphides, which of course, 

 until they come to maturity, are quite useless. 



7. I first met with these eggs in February, 1876, 

 and found that the ants took great care of them, 

 carrying them off to the lower chambers with 

 the utmost haste when the nest was disturbed. 

 I brought some home with me and put them near 

 one of my own nests, when the ants carried them 

 inside. That year I was unable to carry my obser- 

 vations further. In 1877 I again procured some of 

 the same eggs, and offered them to my ants, who 

 carried them into the nest, and in the course of 

 March I had the satisfaction of seeing them hatch 

 into young aphides. 



8. When myeggs hatched I naturallythought that 



