98 JUNGLE ISLAND 



and came to rest. Then I could see that it was 

 the body of a harvestman, which had been spring- 

 ing up and down so fast that its legs were invisible, 

 like the spokes in a rapidly moving wheel. 



I came closer to see more clearly in the half- 

 light of the shaded ravine, and suddenly a whole 

 group of the dark bodies began dancing. Their 

 feet did not move from the spot. They swayed 

 up and down hke a child bouncing on bed springs. 

 When their bodies were moving they looked to 

 be free in the air, but when they became quiet 

 I could see that each was supported by its long 

 legs and that the legs of each harvestman touched 

 the legs of its neighbor. When one was dis- 

 turbed, the movement of his legs sent the news 

 along the legs of all the rest and they danced 

 together. The whole colony spends sociable days 

 in this cool, quiet retreat, and with their scheme 

 for making themselves invisible they are fairly 

 safe, even though there are so many of them. 



The long legs serve well at another time. When 

 the army ants set out hunting, all animals that 

 can move come flying, crawHng, and leaping out 

 of their hiding places. But if they escape the 

 ants they are in as great danger from the birds 

 that follow the ant column to pick up the left- 

 overs. In the midst of the confusion the harvest- 

 man stands still. He lifts first one foot and then 

 another as an ant scout comes too near that 

 particular leg. His Httle roimd body is swung 



