343 TENANTS OF AN OLD FARM. 



and around among the grass stalks, now and then stop- 

 phig to put its jaws upon objects lying upon the ground 

 which I soon discovered to be fallen seeds. At last the 

 fastidious creature found one that suited her. She 

 turned this wa}' and that, until it ajipeai'ed to be bal- 

 anced to her mind, then wheeled about, and started 

 toward home. 



"What a time she had with that seed! All sorts 

 of little obstacles lay in her path — little to us, that is, 

 but great to her. There were blades of grass bent 

 down to the ground ; there were sticks, stocks and 

 stones lying in the path ; there were close-growing 

 tufts of grass like small thickets in the waj'. These 

 were to be llaiiked, or climbed over, or pushed through, 

 and right nobly the little carrier did her task. Now 

 she went straight up and forward ; now she backed to 

 this side, dragging her burden along ; now she sidled 

 around the obstacle ; now she plunged into a hole, and 

 after a moment's rallying bravely mounted the Avail and 

 went on her way. So she journi'yed, winding her 

 laborious path through the grass-forest of her harvest 

 field until she reached the road. Tlien, conscious that 

 her way was clear, she broke into a smart trot, and 

 made straight headway for her nest, and soon disap- 

 peared within the gate. The burden which she bore 

 was a seed of ant-rice, and tliat was proof numljcr 

 three that tliis ant, at least, as Solomon said, ' i)ro- 

 videth her meat in the summer, and gatlieretli her food 

 in llie harvest.' 



" My next work was to explore the inside of the nesl. 



