124 LIVING CREATURES. 



ing themselves. One ant cleans its fellow. It lifts 

 the fellow's leg and licks it ; then li-cks the fellow's 

 head and neck; then the breast. Then the cleaner 

 goes away the fellow cleansed "all this time," says 

 Mr. McCook, "seeming pleased as a dog when his 

 back is scratched." 



Ants talk by signs. When a slave-making ant is 

 hungry, it will pat the head of its slave with its feel- 

 ers ; then the servant immediately supplies the wants 

 of its mistress. The sign for marching is a tap on 

 the side. The red ants will sometimes starve rather 

 than help themselves. Some ants, therefore, are slug- 

 gards; and it was not to these, but to the harvesting 

 ant that Splomon bid the human sluggard go. 



Ants are very strong, and a single one will carry in 

 its jaws a burden twenty-five times its own weight. 

 Ants have their seasons of play, when they jump, 

 caper, and dance on their hind legs. They wrestle, 

 and carry one another in their mouths. 



28. AMONG THE FISHES. 



WHEN one steps into the water and finds how easily 

 he sinks, the swimming of fishes seems a little mys- 

 terious. The puzzle arises, not when the swimmers 

 are in motion, for we ourselves can swim by the proper 

 use of arms and legs. The fish at rest, with motion- 

 less fins and tail, as if standing in the water this is 

 what we wonder at. 



The puzzle is far from being a knotty one. The 

 boy is much heavier than the amount of water which 



