72 2 Analyses of Books. [November, 
Lincecum maintained that Aristida stricta or oligantha ant- 
rice as he named it— was actually planted, cultivated, and reaped 
by these inseas. It is a biennial species which, he states, is 
sown in time for the autumnal rains to bring it up. “ About the 
first of November, if the season is favourable, a green row of 
ant-rice, about four inches wide, is seen springing up on the 
pavement (i.e. y the clearing round the city) in a circle of fourteen 
or fifteen feet in circumference. In the vicinity of this row the 
ants do not permit a single spire of any other grass or weed to 
remain a dav, but leave the Aristida untouched till it ripens, 
which occurs in June the next year. After the maturing and 
harvesting of the seed the dry stubble is cut away and removed 
from the pavement, which is thus left unencumbered until the 
ensuing autumn, when the same species of grass, and in the 
same circle, appears again and receives the same agricultural 
care as did the previous crop.” Dr. Lincecum did not see the 
ants aftually sowing the seed, but he asserts that there is no 
doubt “ of the fadl that this particular species of grass is inten- 
tionally planted.” 
Dr. McCook’s observations on this point are to the following 
effedt The Arista , ant-rice, or needle-grass as it is locally 
called in Texas, is the only plant ever found upon the clearing 
round an ant hill. No other vegetation is tolerated, and the 
position of a formicary is visible from a distance by the belt of 
needle-grass surrounding it. But it is not universally present. 
In many cases the clearing around the city was entirely bare. 
Nor could the author detecff any reason for this difference. As 
far as the evidence goes he concludes that the ants find it to 
their advantage to permit the Aristida to grow upon their discs 
whilst they root out all other herbage. The crop may be re- 
sown in a natural way by droppings from last year’s plants, or 
by seeds lost by the ants on their way home. Still he does not 
venture to pronounce that there is anything “ unreasonable or 
beyond the probable capacity of the emmet intellect in t)he sup- 
position that the crop is actually sown.” The proof is wanting. 
The Texan ant has never been observed by the author gathering 
or plucking seeds from the plant, it merely picks up such as have 
fallen to the ground. Another species found in Florida and 
Georgia — Pogonomyrmex crudelis — has been seen by Mrs. Treat 
as well as by the author cutting seeds from plants. 
As regards the nests of the Agricultural Ant Mr. McCook 
recognises and describes six distindt types. He can detedl no 
difference in the structure of the ants taken from these different 
kinds of nests. As far as his inquiries have gone it seems that 
cities of these different kinds are not promiscuously intermixed, 
but that those of similar structure are found near each other. 
Concerning the co-operation of ants at work the author makes 
some important observations. He says : — “ Another ant comes 
to the help of the first, a third soon follows, and before the gal- 
