122 HOME STUDIES IN NATURE. 



an abundance of mucilage, such as plantain (Plantago 

 lanceolata) ; but whether . these seeds are gathered for 

 the mucilage which they contain, or for the albumen, 

 which is also abundant, is a question, for the ants are 

 not confined to mucilaginous seeds by any means, but 

 harvest those of Oxalis striata, Spergula arvensis, and 

 grass-seed, which are destitute of mucilage, but abound 

 in albumen. As the embryo swells it acts upon the 

 albumen, dissolving and chemically changing its sub- 

 stance into a large quantity of sugar, which seems to 

 point to the way in which they are used for food. 



But the ants also gather a great many seeds of a cru- 

 ciferous plant (Zepidium virginicum) which contains 

 no albumen. So instead of devoting my time to find- 

 ing out the properties of the various seeds which they 

 collected, and speculating upon how and in what way 

 they use them, I have closely observed their habits from 

 early spring until late autumn. 



In the first warm days of April, sometimes in the 

 latter part of March, several gates of the city are open- 

 ed, and the busy inhabitants are engaged in bringing 

 out the refuse of grain and other rubbish which has 

 accumulated during the winter, and which they deposit 

 in a heap outside of the. city limits. The laborers work 

 continuously during pleasant weather, and are attended 

 by sentinels, or perhaps street commissioners, who seem 

 to be watching and directing their movements. When 

 the spring cleaning is completed, all the gates are per- 

 manently closed except one, and this is shut and barri- 



