. Ants; their structure, development and behavior. sh heap. . One can imagine casesin which the ants during the lapse of long periods of time might passthe seeds of plants from colony to colony, until after a journey of manystages, the descendants of the ant-borne seedlings might find them- -7- ANTS. -elves transported to place- far removed from the original home of theirimmediate ancestor-. AI oggridge also observed that not only Fheidolepallidula hut also Ph. megacephala, an Old \\orld ant which now over-runs the warm portions of both hemispheres, are harvesting ants. The more recent investi
. Ants; their structure, development and behavior. sh heap. . One can imagine casesin which the ants during the lapse of long periods of time might passthe seeds of plants from colony to colony, until after a journey of manystages, the descendants of the ant-borne seedlings might find them- -7- ANTS. -elves transported to place- far removed from the original home of theirimmediate ancestor-. AI oggridge also observed that not only Fheidolepallidula hut also Ph. megacephala, an Old \\orld ant which now over-runs the warm portions of both hemispheres, are harvesting ants. The more recent investigations of Forel (18940), Ern. Andre(i88if), Emery iiS<;<H.), Lameere (1902), Escherich (1906), andothers have continued Moggridges observations. Forel and Lameerehave studied the habits of M. barbarus and arcnariits in the deserts of\orth Africa. According to Forel, the latter species, which is themost powerful insect of that region, excavates enormous nests over anarea 7-10 m. in diameter and to a depth of 2 m., with several Fir,. 154. Crater of Mcssor pergaiulci in the Arizona desert, showing ring ofherbaceous plants that have sprung up from discarded seeds in the chaff circle.(See Figs. 152 and 153.) (Original.) each surmounted by a crescentic crater sometimes 50 cm. broad andmade of coarse sand pellets. The granaries are flat chambers about 15cm. in diameter and cm. high, connected by galleries with oneanother and with the surface. Lameere believes that the area occupiedby single colonies of this ant is even greater than that given by also describes the harvesting habits of another Mcssor (M. caii THE HARVESTING ANTS. 273 and of two species of Holcomyrmex (H. lameerci and chobauti) pecu-liar to the sandy and extremely barren portions of the desert. resembles .17. caviccps in having a pronounced cavity on theunder side of the head. Of the former species he says: I saw thelong files of workers carrying seeds of the drin (Aristida pung
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Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectants, bookyear1910
