THE INTEREST IN INSECTS 



21 



mer and fall we find the eggs, larvae and 

 pupae brought out here for air and the 

 morning sun I suppose. Do the ant nur- 

 ses, for such there must be, work under 

 the command of a head nurse or is the 

 same independent, erratic course per- 

 sued within as without? Who tends to 

 the granaries for I have seen a seed 

 brought by an ant turned over to an- 

 other at the door of the home. More 

 often the seed and its carrier tumble in 

 pell-mell and T suppose land on the first 

 floor. When are the seeds hulled and 

 the refuse brought out? My observa- 

 tion would lead me to believe that be- 

 fore each winter this is done. Yet, who 

 can tell? May not the hulls brought 

 out in the fall be the remains of the 

 previous store hulled as eaten? All one 

 can say for sure is, hull and seed are 



ants do the work and if a storm is rap- 

 idly approaching more ants are busily 

 engaged at it. Who ordered out the 

 extra force? They do their work well 

 for one can scarcely find the opening* 

 when they have completed the closing 

 task. Many of them are often found 

 long distances from home ; although 

 they are satisfied to fill their storehouses 

 with such seeds as grow on the plants 

 immediately surrounding their dwell- 

 ings. Unable to see over even the 

 smallest object they must have a sense 

 of direction that guides them at all 

 times. 



The cool days of fall bring less and 

 less activity to these busy little creat- 

 ures; fewer are seen out side, and most 

 of them are fixing up their habitation. 

 Cooler days and they become scarcer, 



SOME SEEDS FOUND IN A MOUND OF THE HARVESTING ANTS. 



taken in at the time they are gathered. 

 W r ho controls the coming and go- 

 ing of the ants? Who is there time- 

 keeper? About eight or nine in the 

 morning one can see them opening the 

 doors, which are always shut at night- 

 fall and when it storms, and issuing 

 forth for the day's work. At noon, if 

 the day is hot, they return to the nest 

 and take a two or three hours' rest ; if it 

 is cool and cloudy no cessation of work 

 occurs. Wise creatures are they. Another 

 thing in their favor they are always 

 home when the doors are shut at nights. 

 When the night closing comes a few 



one here and there filling in the saucer- 

 like opening; then none at all. All is 

 quiet; they are more or less dormant, 

 eating when not too cold, awaiting an- 

 other era of activity. The hill stands 

 amidst its bleak surroundings a silent 

 tomb of unanswered questions. They 

 have worked hard and have earned 

 their rest, although they "Have no ruler 

 or guide or overseer, yet they have 

 provided their meat in the summer and 

 gathered their food in the harvest." 



The next time a reader travels across 

 the plains and sees these mounds may 



