GLEANINGS — DOMESTIC  AND  FOKEIGN.   i  221 
difficulty  to  observe  the  proper  shade  of  color  renders  this  es- 
timation of  bromine  not  very  exact,  but  sufficiently  so  for  all 
technical  purposes  (A.  Reimann  in  Ann.  d.  Ch.  u.  Ph.  xxxix. 
140—143.) 
GLEANINGS— DOMESTIC  AND  FOREIGN. 
By  the  Editor. 
I^ote  on  Ants  in  Texas, — S.  B.  Buckley,  in  the  Proceedings 
of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  of  Philadelphia,  for  Jan. 
29,  1861,  gives  an  interesting  account  of  the  Cutting  Ant  (Myr- 
mica  Texana)  of  Texas.  Speaking  of  their  habitations  or  "  cities," 
he  remarks  :  During  the  summer  I  have  measured  some  which 
extended  beneath  a  surface  having  an  average  diameter  of  70 
feet ;  and  in  one  instance  their  town  was  spread  beneath  an  area 
of  about  100  feet.  Their  cellars,  from  six  inches  to  two  or  three 
feet  in  diameter,  are  beneath  this  surface  to  the  depth  of  from 
12  to  18  feet.  The  dirt  brought  up  is  in  the  form  of  a  crater,  to 
the  edge  of  which  they  carry  the  ground  excavated,  where  it  is 
dropped,  and  rolls  down  the  sides  of  the  volcano-like  hill,  which 
is  seldom  more  than  18  inches  high.  The  storms  level  the  hills, 
and  new  ones  are  formed  on  them,  until  the  dirt  excavated  is  some- 
times three  feet  deep."  From  these  residences  various  lateral 
subterranean  avenues  extend  to  the  surface  in  various  directions. 
It  is  well  known  that  they  store  up  large  quantities  of  food  in  the 
form  of  grain  and  other  seeds,  leaves,  &c.  They  do  most  of  their 
work  at  night,  especially  in  the  hot  season.  They  can  carry  the 
largest  grains  of  corn  ;  and  Dr.  Buckley,  to  test  their  extraordi- 
nary powers,  tried  them  with  small  bits  of  lead  dipped  in  molasses, 
which,  though  three  or  four  times  the  size  of  the  ants,  after 
much  struggling  they  "  succeeded  in  getting  the  sweetened  metal 
on  their  backs,  when  they  marched  homeward."  They  avoid  salted 
provisions.  They  appear  to  have  a  distinct  superior  class  of 
"  big  headed"  giants,  who  are  apparently  rulers,  who  punish 
and  obtain  submission.  They  avoid  low  ground,  subject  to 
overflow. 
The  Stinging  Ant  (Myrmica  malefaciens)  occupy  similar  cel- 
lars and  are  particularly  destructive  to  grain. 
