The statement herein contained that the ants plant the new portion of their mushroom-bed with slips or plants taken from the already growing fungus is, as far as I know, new. I do not remember it in Herr Möller’s paper,[62] who speaks of the _hyphæ_ of the fungus growing through and round the little leaf-balls within a few hours, but without reference to their being planted, nor is it alluded to by Professor Wheeler, who has studied the mushroom-growing ant—whether the same or a similar species I know not—in Texas. Forel, again, speaking of an allied form in Colombia, says, “The largest workers triturate the leaves”; and again, “the medium-sized workers of the minim caste are for ever clipping the threads of the fungus, which then develops the ‘Kohlrabi’ (the little round swellings, that is to say), on which the ants feed.”[62] Possibly this last may allude to the planting, but if so, it is the reverse of clearly put. Professor Wheeler also alludes to this constant clipping of the fungus, and sees in it the probable cause of the mutilation of the antennæ of the little blind cockroaches that live with these ants and take toll of their mushrooms.[63] But as these constitute the sole food of their insect cultivators, it is natural that the latter should frequently clip in order to eat them, and the clipping would, no doubt, stimulate their growth. All this, however, is different from the actual deliberate planting of the fungus on newly laid-down portions of the bed—an act which would imply a very clear intention, and make the ants farmers in the same way that we are. This, however, need not be the case if they only lay down the beds, for these at one time probably constituted their actual food, the crop of fungus being merely incidental. But if the ants deliberately plant the fungus, then, indeed, they must know precisely, in a human way, what they are about.