the Sugar Ants. ^51 
obferved when digging out the fiools in a cane piece, to pre- 
pare for replanting. And when canes are lodged or laid down 
by the ufual winds, or from their own luxuriancy, the ftools 
commonly remain in the ground ; hence, in ordinary weather, 
their nefts are in a ftate of perfeft fecurity. 
The lime, lemon, orange, and fome other trees, afford thefe 
infers the fame advantages, from the great number and quality 
of their roots, which are firmly fixed to the earth, and are very 
laige , oefides which, their tops are fo very thick and umbrageous 
as to prevent even a very heavy rain from reaching the ground 
underneath. 
Oa the contrary, thefe ants nefts are never found at the roots 
of trees or plants incapable of affording the above prote&ion : 
luch, for in fiance, is the coffee*tree. It is indeed fufficiently 
firm in the ground, but it has only one large tap root, which 
goes ftraight downwards, and its lateral roots are fo fmall as to 
afford no flicker againft rain. So again, the roots of the cotton 
fiirub run too near the furface of the earth to prevent the accefs 
of rain, and are neither fufficiently permanent, nor firm 
enough to refill the agitation by the ufual winds. The fame 
obfervatson will be found true with refpedt to cocao, plantains, 
maize, tobacco, indigo, and many other fpecies of trees and 
plants. 
Tiees or plants of the firft defcription always fuffer more or 
lefs in lands iufefted with thefe ants ; whereas thofe of the 
latter never do. Hence we may fairly conclude, that the mif- 
cmef done by thefe infedts is occafioned only by their lodging 
and making their nefts about the roots of particular trees or 
plants. Thus the roots of the fugar-canes are fomehow or 
other to much injured by them, as to be incapable of perform- 
ing their office of Applying due nourifhment to the plants, 
which 
