FEEDING THE COMMUNE 



the smaller but far more numerous, and the bulk of the 

 commune's work is done by them. They collect and 

 store seeds and dead insects. They dig rooms and gal- 

 leries, care for the huge royal larva? and pupa?, feed the 

 brood, and aid the callows break out from the pupal sac. 



Fig. 58 POSTURES OF THE FLORIDA HARVESTER 



IN CUTTING SEEDS FROM THE STEM 



The soldiers do none of this work. They are the 

 communal trenchers. They crush and carve the tough 

 insects and hard seeds stored by workers, a service for 

 which their large muscular heads and jaws are well 

 fitted. The same organs are efficient weapons for de- 

 fence of the commune, a service which attaches to them 

 as soldiers. As such they may be seen, as if on sentinel 

 duty, surrounding the communal dependents. They 

 are stolid in temperament. They decline, in Indian 

 fashion, to take part in nursing the communal young. 

 Their big heads, though of such value to the commune, 

 may sometimes be a serious incumbrance to themselves; 

 for when dropped upon their backs on a polished sur- 

 face, they are not able to recover themselves, and may 

 die literally standing on their heads. 



It seems to be an odd characteristic that these mega- 

 lacephalous creatures appear never to feed upon the 

 oily seeds and insect juices which they make available 

 by cracking the material brought in by the workers, 

 but live on liquid food regurgitated by the workers. 



117 



