1 88 ODD HOURS WITH NATURE 



tribe continued to run over, round, and under the 

 body of their quarry, but no advance to a solution 

 was made. Next day, however, the caterpillar's 

 body was away. 



Proceeding with experiment, but this time giving 

 deference to the dictates of humanity, I offered 

 the little people the body of a large moth which 

 had been dead for at least a year, which time it 

 had passed impaled on a pin. It was as dry a 

 piece of pemmican as ever teeth were tried on, 

 and I expected the ants would turn from it in 

 disdain. But no. They swarmed over it in the 

 highest excitement, tried their jaws upon it, and 

 swiftly came to the conclusion that it was a great 

 treasure sent by the gods. Probably the experts 

 announced that, though dry, the magnificent car- 

 case was rich in proteids, and therefore excellent 

 for sausages, so they determined to get it home. 

 The most admirable efforts were put forth, but after, 

 half an hour of feverish industry the labourers 

 had succeeded in doing no more than turning the 

 gigantic body round. Then they changed their 

 tactics, and showed that ant intelligence is equal 

 to devising two ways of facing a difficulty. 



" We cannot get this magnificent mine of wealth 

 home in a lump," they seemed to say, " so we must 

 take it home in bits." Working on this bright 

 idea, they began to bite off the legs of the moth, 

 and one by one succeeded in detaching them. As 

 each was severed it was hauled along in triumph 

 to one of the doorways, down which it rapidly 

 disappeared. Six legs of moth were thus deposited 

 in the larder. Next the ants assailed the wings, 



