A NICE LITTLE HOUSEKEEPER. IO/ 



of the duty of the workers consists in taking care of 

 the eggs and young ones, and in attending on the 

 queen and leading her about. 

 Jenny. Then you have a queen, do you ? 



Ant. Yes ; but our queen is only the mother of the 

 community, and has no authority whatever over us. 

 She is, however, treated with the greatest respect and 

 affection by us all. Wherever she goes, we press 

 around her, offer her food, brush her dress for her, and 

 help her up steep ascents, and through narrow pas- 

 sages. As often as she goes through the nest, the 

 workers leave their occupation, pat her on the head and 

 breast, and stand on their hind legs, laying their fore- 

 feet on each other's shoulders, and thus dance about 

 her. Whenever she lays an egg, it is at once taken up 

 by a worker and carried to a place of safety. Some- 

 times there are two or three queens in the nest, but 

 they are all friendly and kind to each other. 



Jenny. Does the queen never go out of the nest? 



Ant. Never. It would be considered improper in 

 the highest degree for her to do so. Indeed, no sooner 

 is a female elected queen than she throws away her 

 wings, of her own accord, and never stirs out after- 

 wards. 



Jenny. But what becomes of the males? 



Ant. O, they die very soon after they come out. 

 They are tender, helpless creatures, and the first rude 

 wind or storm kills them. 



Jenny. What is that upon the door-step? 



Ant. O, I see. They have found a nice fat spider, 

 which has been killed in some way, and they are going 

 to take it to the nest for food. 



