98 THE INDUSTRIES OF ANIMALS. 



from the opposite extremity of the animal a con- 

 tinuous thread emerges without breaking, and 

 becomes coiled up. 



Care bestowed on harvested provisions. — Among the 

 animals who take particular care of the provisions 

 they have amassed, special mention must be made of 

 certain species of Ants. It was formerly believed that 

 these industrious Hymenoptera are not accustomed to 

 store up in barns for the winter. This opinion long 

 prevailed owing to the authority of Huber, so com- 

 petent in these matters, although the ancients were 

 well acquainted with the storehouses of ants.^ But it 

 was founded on an exclusive study of these insects in 

 northern countries, in which, during the cold season, 

 they become torpid and buried in their hybernal 

 sleep. Naturally they have no need of food during 

 this period, but it was incorrect to generalise from 

 this fact The ants of the south are active all the 

 year round. An English naturalist, Moggridge, who 

 passed several winters at Mentone, has placed this 

 fact out of doubt. Suffering from an incurable disease, 

 he occupied the last years of his life in observing and 

 setting down for the instruction of others the habits 

 of these insects. He found that ants of the species 

 Atta Barbara store up grains. They utilise plants of 

 various kinds, but usually fumitory, oats, nettle, various 

 species of Veronica, etc. They procure these grains 

 towards the end of autumn, collecting them on the soil, 

 or even, when they do not fall in sufficient quantities, 

 climbing up the plants and gathering them in position. 

 An ant will, for instance, ascend the stem of a fruiting 

 plant, of shepherd's-purse, let us say, and select a 



1 See chapter on " The Ancient Belief in Harvesting Ants," in 



McCook's Agricultural Ants. 



