AGRICULTURAL ANTS. gi 



harvest their crops ; but this is doubted by the Eev. 

 Mr. McCook, who looked into the matter while on a 

 visit to Texas. 



The ants are not confined to their cultivated fields 

 in gathering grain, but make long roads, which they 

 keep quite clean and level, into the surrounding 

 forests of wild grass, and on these little highways 

 can be seen the busy harvesters going for and return- 

 ing with the grain from distant harvest fields. 



The pueblas or houses of the agricultural ant are 

 many stories deep, and consist of a great number 

 of chambers, granaries, and passageways or halls. 

 Of course, there is no light or ventilation, which ants 

 have learned to do without in these underground 

 habitations. It is, in fact, the absolute need which 

 human beings have for these two things that ac- 

 counts for much of the difference between the habi- 

 tations of primitive people and those of the lower 

 animals ; for whether it is beavers, moles, termites, or 

 ants, they seem at times to do very well almost with- 

 out either breathing or seeing. 



