252 AN INTERESTING SPECTACLE. 
the other, and both together carry off other witnesses, which in their 
turn perform upon others—the number continually increasing—the 
same operation, Our parliamentary phrases, “to carry away the 
crowd,” “to transport the hearer,” are by no means mere metaphors 
among the ants! 
To this lively gesticulation they joi many other scarcely explicable 
movements,—such as cavalcades, in which they march mounted one 
upon another, exchanging gay defiances and light blows upon the 
cheeks. Then they rear themselves upright, and contend by couples, 
seizing upon a leg, a mandible, or an antenna. Naturalists have 
spoken of these as their pastimes, but I know not what to think. 
Among so busy, and obviously serious a family, this gymnastic exer- 
cise has perhaps a hygienic object which we do not understand. 
We had so well managed our prisoners that they had become habi- 
tuated to their new domicile, and toiled under our eyes as they would 
have done in their own city. They rebuilt for themselves a small 
town in miniature, with gates whose number they carefully augmented, 
especially on very hot days, for the purpose of giving air to their little 
ones, whom they took care to place near the openings. 
In the evening they conscientiously proceeded, according to their 
invariable custom, to shut up the gates, as if always afraid of some 
nocturnal invasion of idle vagabonds. A spectacle of deep interest, 
which we frequently took occasion to enjoy in front of the great, 
swarming ant-hills. 
Nor could there be a more varied picture ; on all sides, and at great 
distances, you might see them coming in long files, each bearing some 
little article—one a long straw, another a pretty pine nut-cup, or (ac- 
cording to the country) a black needle-like leaf of the fir-tree. These, 
like little woodcutters returning at close of day, brought back imper- 
ceptible bundles of twigs; others, which seemed empty-handed, were 
but the more heavily loaded, having just taken prisoners some wood- 
lice, which they carried home for the evening meal of the little ones. 
At the approaches of the city, the points where the ascent com- 
menced, it was a pleasure to see the vigour, the zeal, and the ardour 
