ANT COMMUNITIES 



tion of civil punishment. Nor do I remember to have 

 read of such a case in natural history. Emmet out- 



/ 



lawry is unknown. These vast communities are self- 

 policed. Their citizens are so perfectly self-controlled, 

 so absolutely free from even the desire to violate law, 

 that as against them a domestic police would be a sine- 

 cure. Do you look for the perfect social commune whose 

 citizens are all perfect in that " righteousness which is of 

 the law"? One may find it here. 



But public enemies abound. Eternal vigilance is the 

 price of peaceful industry and security. Here are 

 millions for defence, though not an ant be needed to 

 support home government. And to this end every 

 citizen, if need be, is a soldier-policeman. Watchmen 

 continually guard the various gates, or entrances, to the 

 cone, most of which are ranged along its base just above 

 the ground, but some are placed between that and the 

 summit. These sentries lurk inside the gates, whence 

 they issue, with every mark of intense excitement and 

 watchfulness, if one approaches a finger or drops some 

 object near them. Frequently they patrol the vicinity 



of the gates, and 

 attack intruders 

 with promptness 

 and intrepidity 



IrLTrXt-fcW*?*;- >^/*.~- <*'A xr <T\J.*I tSVkVSJ '^,\ t 



This is a p rev- 

 rig. 13 WATCHMEN AROUND THE GATE OF 



A HONEY-ANTS' NEST alent manner oi 



ants. There is 



but one large tubular entrance to the pound-cake-like 

 mound of the honey-ants of the Garden of the Gods 

 (Myrmecocystus hortideorunt) in Colorado. Around its 



upper rim, with their yellow heads and quivering antennas 



10 



