UNDER THE MAl'LES. 131 



stances, came to the rescue, and assisted them oyer the 

 slippery place. One would come to the edge of the 

 paper and meet a soldier, and gently take hold of her 

 antennas, and walk backward up the glass, steadying and 

 supporting her until they both passed into the formi- 

 cary. This soon became a fixed habit. After a while 

 the soldiers did not try to walk up the glass alone, but 

 would wait at the top of the paper for the workers to 

 conduct them over it. 



Several other species of ants in the North occasion- 

 ally collect seeds and flowers and foliage. I have ob- 

 served a tiny black ant, a species of Tetramorium, gath- 

 ering honey from flowers, after the manner of bees. I 

 first observed this species in New Hampshire, in the 

 month of August, 1880, collected in great numbers on 

 the golden-rod (Solidago nemoralis). They ascend the 

 long stalks and enter the flowers, where they are almost 

 entirely concealed, only the tips of their abdomens 

 showing like black specks on the bright yellow florets. 

 When they are satisfied they come slowly down, with 

 their honey-sacks rounded out almost to bursting, and 

 all follow the same path until they reach their subter- 

 ranean formicary. 



The harvesting ants and their allies have nothing to 

 do with Aphides or other sweet-secreting insects. They 

 seem to have some way of elaborating or obtaining 

 sugar directly from plants. But many other species 

 depend in a great degree upon their flocks and herds 

 for subsistence. Notable among this latter class are the 



