ANIMAL AVOCATIONS 243 
Within the cleared space around the nest 
the ants cultivate a special kind of plant 
known as ant-rice, tending it with great care 
and gathering the seeds when they are ripe. 
Whether the ant actually plants its crop 
in the first instance is a matter concerning 
which there is a great difference of opinion, 
some naturalists being of the opinion that it 
does so, while others are inclined to doubt the 
statement. 
The crop is carefully harvested and carried 
into the nest, the husks being removed and the 
seeds stored. Should any of the latter be at 
all damp, the ants bring them out on a fine day 
to dry in the sun, thereby preventing them 
from rotting and from germinating. 
The granaries wherein the seeds are stored 
are a series of chambers connected by numerous 
galleries, the latter sometimes extending to 
a depth of over three yards, although the 
former are never more than about thirty inches 
below the level of the ground. Curiously 
enough, notwithstanding that the ants feed 
upon various kinds of seeds, those of the ant- 
rice are the only ones they cultivate. When 
feeding their young the insects cover small 
portions of seed with their saliva which has 
the property of converting the starch contained 
in the food into sugar. 
Q ! 
