113 
'he workers of this species (which are the individuals ordinarily 
a) are only 1.4 mm. long. The second article of the abdominal 
uncle is articulated to the front end of the oval abdomen, and is 
inversely oval, viewed from above, conspicuously broader than 
y, and almost smooth. The first article is narrowed forwards, 
lylindrical form, thickened posteriorly and above. The head is 
joth; the clypeus bears two longitudinal, parallel ridges, and is 
rntely bi-dentate on the anterior edge; the antennse are ten¬ 
ded, the last two joints very large, forming a club by themselves; 
mandibles are expanded towards the tips and terminate with a 
■ of teeth; the maxillary and labial palpi are bi-articulate; the 
y is rather abundantly provided with long hairs, and these are 
ecially conspicuous upon the legs; the thorax is but slightly 
>ressed above, and the metanotum has neither teeth nor spines. 
INJURIES. 
>n the 6th of .June, at Normal, just as the corn was appearing 
ve the ground, it was observed that these ants were very abund- 
in many fields, both old and new, usually collected about the 
uels of corn in the earth. It was at first supposed that they 
e in attendance upon plant-lice, but their frequent occurrence in 
3 where no plant-lice were to be seen, negatived this supposition, 
sn the kernels of corn about which they were collected were 
wed and hollowed out, with the ants in the cavity. Plants which, 
e thus attacked were invariably shorter than others adjacent, 
ing a stunted appearance. This same species was noticed again, 
7 abundant, in many other fields on the 12th of June, and a 
ael which had apparently been originally sound, was found 
wed away, the substance of it being drawn out and scattered 
ut in the earth, after the manner of ants.* 
'n the 15th, several of these specimens were brought to the 
)oratory and placed in a tin box with earth. This was connected 
ii another box containing earth in which some kernels of corn 
e placed. After two days, these ants began work, biting and 
fing out pieces of the kernels and dragging them away, a single 
often carrying a fragment as large as the head of a pin. 
a the strawberry field, their work was but rarely seen. Here, 
acting the largest and ripest berries, a little group of them would 
u bury themselves almost out of sight in a cavity gnawed out 
j ;he fleshy fruit. 
These insects do not swallow the solid portion of their fooJ, but tear and lick it away, 
•opriating only the fluids of the substance fed upon. This peculiar method of feeding 
, es it impossible to determine the food of ants by dissection. Four of the very s eci- 
i s which had been previously taken in the act of destroying kernels of corn, were most 
' tuliy dissected, and the contents of their alimentary canals were displayed on glass 
s and studied with the microscope. No starch grains or other solid particles were 
ie, neither did the contents of their intestines give the starch reaction with iodine. 
