TINY BUILDERS 
33 
tect them in every way possible. More than this, 
each race of ants seems to prefer a certain breed 
of cows. The big black ants, for instance, have 
green cows which they pasture on the leaves of 
the red maple or the box-elder. The small black 
ants of the cornfields keep a grayish-white cow, 
which feeds on the corn rootlets, so voraciously 
sometimes as to do great damage to the fields. 
The big red ants herd their bluish-gray cows 
around the roots of the apple tree. The brown 
ants keep their cows on the tall grass which is 
always to be found growing near their cities. 
Not only do the ants seem to know just what 
food each breed of cattle requires, but some folks 
think that each ant has its own private cow! Al¬ 
ways, wherever the cows are kept, herders are 
stationed to guard them, and not only do they 
drive away any prowling creatures, but often 
they build cowsheds of earth over the drove for 
their further protection. 
“ The yellow meadow ants seems to run genu¬ 
ine dairy farms. It is said that they often have 
four or five different breeds of aphids under their 
protection. In winter, their cattle are carefully 
transferred to underground stables. More than 
this, these skillful little people painstakingly 
gather up all the aphid eggs they can find in the 
fall, and treasure them carefully in a nursery 
built for this purpose. The eggs are turned and 
