NATURE'S CRAFTSMEN 



The entire administration of the community appears 

 to be in the hands of the workers. All changes, such as 

 emigration to a new nest, or wars of defence and offence, 

 or the extension of the public works, are directed by 

 them. These movements appear at times to be spon- 

 taneous in an entire community, and the reasons for 

 them are often beyond human ken; but sometimes they 

 plainly lie in special annoyance, inconvenience, danger, 

 or necessity. 



Every ant seems to be a law unto itself, and preserves 

 independence of action in all things. The only sover- 

 eignty which it recognizes is that of personal influence 

 and example, which create a potent social atmosphere 

 or environment. When this becomes effective upon the 

 individual worker, it is urged forward in the line of labor, 

 apparently wholly independent of other rule or restraint 

 than that which its task imposes. In fact, the proverb 

 which, many centuries ago, described the wise workers 

 of the ant-hill as " having no guide, overseer, or ruler/' 

 has been proved by modern myrmecologists to be liter- 

 ally true. 



It would be more appropriate, therefore, to speak of 

 an ant community as a pure democracy than an absolute 

 monarchy. The queen is simply the mother of the home ; 

 the source of all life and prosperity, because of her power 

 to produce offspring. Her life is guarded and regu- 

 lated by a view single to the interests of the com- 

 munity, and, as far as can be seen, not at all with 

 regard to the dignity and office of the royal mother 

 herself. 



How long may an ant queen live? In their natural 

 habitat some queens doubtless have short lives; but by 



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