4l8 NATURE STUDY AND LIFE 



as honeydew, which some species discharge. For this 

 reason aphids are sometimes called "ant cows." The 

 milking of their cows is readily observed. Practically all 

 the ants seen about trees are tending their herds of cows, 

 and if we follow one we may soon see her come up to an 

 aphid and stroke it gently with her feelers. In response 

 the aphid emits a little droplet of honeydew from two 

 minute tubes on its back, and this the ant eagerly licks up. 

 A destructive species of aphid, the corn louse, feeds upon 

 the roots of corn, and it has been found that the brown 

 ant collects the eggs of this aphid in the fall, takes care 

 of them in its nest during the winter, and carries the 

 newly hatched plant lice back to the corn roots in the 

 spring. It is possible that this or other species of ants may 

 distribute plant lice in a similar manner to the leaves of 

 trees or shrubs, but this has not as yet been discovered. 



An ants' nest may be made with a slate and a pane of 

 glass large enough to rest upon the frame all the way 

 around. Cut one or more little passageways in the 

 frame, have a board just as large as the glass to keep 

 the nest dark when not under observation, and stand the 

 slate on two bricks in a shallow pan of water. To fill 

 the nest select a hot, sunny afternoon, turn over a flat 

 stone quickly, and with a spoon first scrape up as many 

 ants, pupae, and eggs as possible into a wide-mouthed 

 bottle ; then dig open the nest and be sure to catch one 

 or more queens, with as many more ants, eggs, and larvae 

 as possible. Cork the bottle and, without more delay than 

 necessary, turn the contents upon the slate, spreading it 

 out so that the glass will rest on the frame, and cover 

 up. By the next morning you will find a well-ordered 



