254 THE NATURALIST IN AUSTRALIA. 
accomplish this undertaking a number of the Green Ants were assembled on the 
outside and were engaged in rows in gripping and drawing to their closest proximity 
the edges of the adjacent leaves. This strained position, with every muscle at the 
fullest tension, was maintained, it might be, for hours together without its being 
possible to detect the rationale of the ants’ manceuvres. The weaving and binding of 
the leaf edges to one another was probably progressing throughout this interval, but 
on the inner side only of the approximated edges. 
Presently an ant was seen to emerge from the interior of the nest, carrying 
with it a whitish object, which on nearer examination proved to be one of the 
matured grubs or larve. This grub was carried to the scene of one of the labouring 
parties occupied in holding the leaf edges together. Grasping the grub by the centre 
of its body, the ant then held it in such a position that its extended head could just 
come in contact with one of the gripped edges, to which the grub sought to 
attach itself by exuding a glutinous silk fibre from its mouth. No sooner, however, 
had the larva effected a silken attachment to one leaf edge than it was immediately 
transported to the opposite one, to -which, in like manner, it endeavoured to 
effect a secure anchorage. The silken cord was drawn out and carried across the 
intervening space, and, being fastened again to this opposite edge, made the first 
complete stitch to unite the respective leaf edges. This simple process was repeated 
over and over again until the silk supply of the larva was exhausted, when it 
was carried back to the nursery and another grub substituted in its place. The 
larve thus selected and utilised as weaving shuttles were in all cases matured 
individuals that were on the point of entering upon the pupeform condition and had 
consequently their silk glands fully developed. So soon as a sufficient amount of silk 
fibre had been woven between and over the opposing leaf edges to overcome their 
natural tendency to spring apart, the labouring ants relaxed their grip, and either 
commenced operations on other leaf edges or retired into their nest. The rare 
occasions on which it was found possible to detect these insects engaged upon their 
remarkable weaving operations favour the belief that they are usually accomplished 
at night. 
The leading data, here recorded, concerning ‘“‘The weaving properties of the 
Australian Green Ant” were communicated by the writer in a paper bearing the 
foregoing title, contributed to the Queensland Royal Society’s Meeting of May 15th, 
1891. Nest-weaving phenomena of a similar character were subsequently observed 
by Mr. H. N. Ridley of an allied Malaccan species, Formica smaragdina, and 
oe 
