The naturalist in Nicaragua : a narrative of a residence at the gold mines of Chontales; journeys in the savannahs and forests; with observations on animals and plants in reference to the theory of evolution of living forms . ain their food directly from the tree, but keep brownscale-insects (Coccidce) in the cells, which suck thejuices from the tree, and secrete a honey-like fluid thatexudes from a pore on the back, and is lapped up bythe ants. In one cell eggs will be found, in anothergrubs, and in a third pupae, all lying loosely. In anothercell, by itself, a queen ant will be found, surrou
The naturalist in Nicaragua : a narrative of a residence at the gold mines of Chontales; journeys in the savannahs and forests; with observations on animals and plants in reference to the theory of evolution of living forms . ain their food directly from the tree, but keep brownscale-insects (Coccidce) in the cells, which suck thejuices from the tree, and secrete a honey-like fluid thatexudes from a pore on the back, and is lapped up bythe ants. In one cell eggs will be found, in anothergrubs, and in a third pupae, all lying loosely. In anothercell, by itself, a queen ant will be found, surroundedby walls made of a brown waxy-looking substance,along with about a dozen Coccida: to supply her withfood. I suppose the eggs are removed as soon as laid. Ch. XII.] MELASTOJLE AND THEIR ANTS. 223 for I never found any along- with the queen-ant. Ifthe tree be shaken, the ants rush out in myriads, andsearch about for the molester. This case is not likethe last one, where the tree has provided food andshelter for the ants, but rather one where the ant hastaken possession of the tree, and brought with it theCoccidce; but I believe that its presence must be bene-ficial. I have cut into some dozens of the Cecropia trees,. l-EAF OF MELASTOMA. and never could find one that was not tenanted by noticed three different species, all, as far as I know,confined to the Cccropicc, and all farming in the bulls-horn thorn, there is never more thanone species of ant on the same tree. In some^ species of Melastomw there is a direct pro-vision of houses for the ants. In each leaf, at the baseof the laminte, the petiole, or stalk, is furnished with a 224 THE NATURALIST IN NICARAGUA. [Ch. XII. couple of pouches, divided from each other by the mid-rib, as shown in the figure. Into each of these pouchesthere is an entrance from the lower side of the leaf. Inoticed them first in Northern Brazil, in the province ofMaranham ; and afterwards at Para. Every pouch wasoccupied by a
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