CLEANLINESS 21 



head and goes clear round the ant, missing nothing, not 

 even the feet and legs. The one that is getting the 'licking' 

 limbers up its legs and holds them out; kneels down, lies 

 on its side, and so on, as if enjoying the bath." 



FLORENCE. I use tears several times a minute as an 

 eye-wash. What do you use? 



ANT. I have sponges on my forelegs. So I sponge my 

 eyes with saliva to keep them clean. 



FLORENCE. When the comb on your foreleg gets full 

 of dirt, how is the comb cleaned? Yes, how is the whole 

 foreleg cleaned? 



ANT. With my whiskers, but sometimes with my jaws. 

 The jaws of some ants are edged with teeth ; of some others 

 with hairs. You know that some ants have real whiskers 

 on the under jaw, while others have tufts of hair on the 

 under lip and bristles on the upper. 



FLORENCE. What do you do with the dirt you get in 

 your mouth when you lick eggs, babies, queens, other ants, 

 bugs and yourself? Swallow it? 



ANT. Oh, no; or we would soon be full of dirt like the 

 fishworm. An ant has a pocket under its mouth something 

 like the pelican has. The dirt is collected in this, rolled 

 into a little ball, and dumped out. 



FLORENCE. You shine as if you are polished today. 

 How do you do it? 



ANT. Most of the polishing is done with the tongue, 

 and I have to get other ants to help. You have seen a cat 

 use her tongue. 



FLORENCE. Do you use stove polish? 



ANT. The little oil that is in our saliva gives the best 

 shine. 



