A GUILD OF CARPENTER ANTS 



ground. Workers wrought upon this pile, carrying pel- 

 lets piece by piece to the pavement curb and casting 

 them into the gutter. 



It was interesting and amusing to watch the little 

 creatures in this act. Having reached the curbstone, 

 the wee porter would rear upon her hind legs, poise her- 

 self a moment thus, then, bending forward, release or 

 cast the chip from her jaws. The forefeet were used 

 for this, being raised to the side of the face and placed 

 against the pellet, which by a sharp forward motion 

 was hurled away. Then would follow several similar 

 movements, as though to brush from mouth and mandi- 

 bles adhering particles of dust. 



A gentle breeze, blowing at the time, lifted up the 

 ejected cutting and carried it down the gutter, which 

 for several feet was strewn with pellets. In some way 

 these emmet porters seemed to have grasped the fact 

 that the breeze aided the disposal of the chippage, 

 which therefore need cause no further concern. One 

 wonders whether they had any notion of the nature of 

 this efficient coadjutor, and, if so, what they conceived 

 it to be? Like many human toilers, did they work on 

 with a dull subconsciousness that a sort of ''Providence" 

 had entered into their life, which behooved them to 

 accept without further concern? One who lives much 

 with these little brothers of the insect world can hardly 

 help yielding to the fascination of such anthropomorphic 

 musings, however idle they may be. Doubtless Mr. 

 Burroughs is right in his stand against those who tres- 

 pass upon the just boundary between truth and fiction 

 in hmnanizing the actions of the lower orders. But 

 theirs is an ancient offence, and strong indeed is the 

 temptation thereto. 



117 



