NATURE'8 CRAFTSMEN 



Through the cement joints of stone slabs the workers 

 had cut a gateway, into and out of which they went all 

 day long. In such sites, of course, the native emmet 

 industry was modified, but in the open and untilled 

 spaces about our camp the natural habit appeared. 



As if to invite observation and challenge assail of 

 foes, the Agricultural ants have plainly marked their 

 city bounds. Here on the grassy opens surrounding 

 camp are smooth, flat, circular, verdureless spaces of 

 various sizes, some as large as twelve feet in diameter. 

 They have three noteworthy features in common. 



They are in the open; the 

 Agriculturals love sunlight 

 and shun the shade. The 

 common gateway is near the 

 centre of the disk. Roads, 

 varying in number and size, 

 radiate from the edges into 

 the surrounding herbage. 

 There are some differences 

 in form. Although most of 

 the disks are flat, some 

 have small conical heaps of 



■,,-y^ ■A',/.:'/: \ 



ai^> 



A DISK COVERED WITH A CROP OF ANT-RICE 



A single stalk shown at the left 

 86 



