THE LANGUAGE OF ANTS 



She was turned back by a smart tap upon the head; 

 whereat she seized the tip of her rug and began to 

 oscillate her snare, as though to shake off an intruder. 



When this diversion had quieted down, the scissors 

 were plied again. As the rent lengthened, the bee 

 seemed to awake and began to stir. One leg appeared, 

 then a wing. Thereupon issued a low hum of satisfac- 

 tion, which rose into a higher note, apparently of vexa- 

 tion, as the body gradually appeared. At length, with 

 a burst of limbs and wings, the insect was free. There 

 was no mistaking the character of her emotions now; 

 they were not jubilant. She was mad! and was waxing 

 madder in remembrance of the indignity put upon her. 

 Her wings vibrated with a velocity that raised their 

 responding sound to a high note which plainly signified 

 wrath and vengeance. The observer, at least, under- 

 stood; for instead of turning its wrath upon its captor, 

 the bee made straightway for its liberator with sting 



<S <J 



outthrust, and with that peculiar buzz which bee- 

 familiars know as a war-note. 



Discretion in that case "the better part of valor" 

 justified retreat. Moreover, the quest was not quite 

 ended. It had been determined that an insect can be 

 captured and swathed and trussed up by a spider with- 

 out impairment of aught but her temper. But it re- 

 mained to see what her beeship would do ; and that soon 

 appeared. Its pursuit of its back-stepping deliverer 

 ended, it turned again to the honeysuckle vine, and took 

 up its search for pollen and nectar as though life had 

 known no "hairbreadth 'scapes' 1 from deadly peril, and 

 timely rescue therefrom. Her war-note died awav into 



** \/ 



the old droning hum of peaceful industry and busy 



contentment. 



127 



