20 A NATURALIST IN HIMALAYA 



the routine duties of excavation ; they rarely carry a 

 load of debris to the refuse heap ; they quietly crawl 

 about the opening while the smaller workers toil 

 laboriously on. If we watch a nest during excavation, 

 it will usually be found to have two or three soldiers 

 stationed at the entrance. From time to time they 

 leave their post of duty at the gate and creep about 

 over the husks and excavated earth as though to 

 satisfy themselves that the work is proceeding satis- 

 factorily. Then they again return to the entrance. 

 At first sight it appears a strange dispensation of 

 nature that the largest and strongest should be the 

 laziest in the community. But this is far from being 

 the case. Interfere in any way with the general 

 routine of work and none will more resent the in- 

 trusion nor attack more ferociously than these sluggish 

 soldiers ; place any impediment in the way of excava- 

 tion and the soldiers will be tireless in their activity 

 until it is removed. It is difficult to escape the 

 impression that the soldiers stationed at the entrance 

 maintain a general supervision over the smaller workers 

 in their task of excavation, direct the scheme of opera- 

 tions, dictate the methods by which new difficulties 

 are to be overcome, and stubbornly defend the nest 

 against all intruders. 



I will mention one instance displaying the energy 

 and special duty of the soldiers in the protection of 

 the home. I found a nest of Messor himalayanus 

 situated on the side of a limestone cliff with its occu- 

 pants busy as usual storing up supplies for winter. 

 At the time I first detected the nest no soldiers were 

 stationed at the gate. Eighteen inches distant from 

 the entrance to the Messor nest a complete migration 



