346 ON THE HABITS OF THE CARINGA. 
seizes him gently but firmly by the notch above the abdomen in 
its jaws. A third repeats the operation on the second and 
holds the second leaf by its hind claws. In this manner the 
leaves are gradually pulled together till the edges almost or 
entirely meet. The ants can remain in this strained position for 
avery long time, but usually in a few minutes others come 
up and commence to sew the leaves together with silk. This 
is done in the following way. One or two ants come from the 
interior of the nest, each bearing a larva in its mouth, the tail 
of the larva pointing outwards. They then commence by ap- 
plying the tail end of the grub to the edge of one leaf irritating 
it by quivering the antennce overand uponit. The grub emits 
a thread of silk which is fixed apparently by the antennee of 
ant to the leaf-edge. The sewer then runs across to the other 
leaf drawing the thread from the grub and fixing it there, and 
thus it goes backwards and forwards from leaf-edge to leaf- 
edge till a strong web of silk binds the two leaves together. 
No silk is used in lining the nest, but any holes or spaces 
between the leaves, are closed with a curtain of silk. When a 
grub’s silk-producing power is exhausted, it is taken back to 
the interior of the nest and another one fetched. The rapidity 
with which the work is done is wonderful. I partially opened 
a nest on a Velvet apple tree (Dzospyros discolor) tearing open 
a space at one end about four inches each way, by raising one 
of the leaves which had previously been sewn to two others. 
The ants seemed much excited, but soon recommenced to 
repair the damage. First one, then another, and eventually 
ten or adozen seized the edge of the leaf in the way above 
described and began to pull it back into the old position. 
The operation took about ten minutes. The leaf seemed to 
move by short slight jerks, but slowly and steadily. Just as 
they had got it close to the other leaf, a gust of wind blew it 
open again andthe ants had to recommence. In less than a 
quarter. of an hour the leaves were Bea held in apposition 
and the sewing had begun. 
In the interior of the nest; the ee seem to be put down 
any how, in a pile in the centre. The rest of the ants remain 
in the middle of the nest crowded together, and all manner of 
things, suchas insects, bits of meat, etc., are brought in and de- 
