NATURE'S CRAFTSMEN 



bility tlkat delights to give pleasure. And what a 

 pleasure most animals feel in manipulation of the hair 

 and body! The now popular art of massagerie appears 

 to be naturally practised by ants, doubtless antedating 

 by ages the habit of men. But we forbear. This is 

 anthropomorphic ! It may be well to explain that these 

 shampooing ants are not wholly disinterested in their 

 kindly acts, for it has been suggested that they may ob- 

 tain some sort of nourishing material from the bodies 

 which they treat. 



Let us peep into this group snugged up against the 

 warm glass side of the formicary. They have finished 

 their evening meal of sweets; have drunk, after their 

 fashion, by lapping water from moistened wood, and 

 most of them are busy at their toilet. And here is one 

 receiving a sort of Turkish bath ! A fore leg is held up, 

 which a fellow - worker is sponging with her tongue, 

 moving gently with " the lay of the hair" from thigh to 

 foot. Then the mouth is passed steadily over the body; 

 next the neck is licked, then the prothorax and head. 

 Now the friendly operator leaves, and her comrade takes 

 up the toilet service for herself. 



Note another couple. The cleanser has begun at the 

 face, which is thoroughly brushed, even the jaws being 

 cared for, which are held apart for convenient manipu- 

 lation. From the face the operator passes to the thorax, 

 thence to the haunch, and so along the first leg, along 

 the second and third legs in the same manner, around 

 to the abdomen, and thence up the other side to the 

 head. Another ant approaches and joins in the friendly 

 task, but soon quits it. All this while the attitude of 

 the cleansed ant is one of intense satisfaction, quite like 

 that of a family dog when one scratches his neck. The 



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