THE SLUGGARD'S MODEL 187 



give way to rage. But of real material damage 

 he appeared to suffer none at all, and examining 

 the struggle with a large reading-glass, I came 

 to the conclusion that the ants never managed to 

 do more than bite and pull his hairs. Therefore 

 I rescued him from torment, and went in search of 

 something more vulnerable. 



A perfectly smooth green cabbage caterpillar 

 was my next martyr, and his fate soon proved the 

 value of hairs to creatures which have occasion 

 to crawl where ants abound. On the smooth cater- 

 pillar the ants threw themselves with the same 

 courage that animated them in attacking the hairy 

 one, and in five minutes the caterpillar was dead 

 and exuding moisture from every segment. 



The scene that followed was highly interesting. 

 Having killed their game, the ants proceeded to 

 take it home, and it was like African pigmies 

 attempting the transport of a dead elephant. As 

 many of them as could find standing room around 

 it bore a hand at the great work, and though as 

 many more stood upon the body it was actually 

 with minute jerks moved along. The nearest 

 entrance to the nest was three inches away, and 

 in the course of a quarter of an hour the carcase 

 was actually at the door. But here a great 

 problem arose. The caterpillar's body was thicker 

 than the entrance to the nest was wide, and when 

 his head had been jerked, pushed, and pulled into 

 it further movement seemed impossible. And un- 

 fortunately, whether ant ingenuity was equal to 

 the engineering problem presented I am unable 

 to say. As long as I watched, the triumphant 



