PARTS OF AN ANT 53 



ANT. Hem! 



FLORENCE. I have read that the camel stores food and 

 fat in its humps. AVhat are yours for? 



ANT. You'll have to guess. 



FLORENCE. I see that you have two toes on each foot, 

 the same as the camel has. 



ANT. The two sharp claws are for digging, scratching, 

 and for holding onto rough walls. 



FLORENCE. But a fly can beat you. It can walk up 

 glass, for it has something sticky on its feet. 



ANT. I also have an oily substance between my claws 

 and can walk up glass. 



FLORENCE. A camel can go a long time without water. 



ANT. But not nearly so long as I can. 



KENNETH. When you rasp food off a hard seed or off 

 dried meat I don't see how you can swallow it. It wouldn't 

 go through the slim pedicel. 



ANT. I don't swallow it. No ant swallows solid food. 

 I put the flour or meat into that little dust pocket under 

 the base of my tongue, dampen it, take out the part I need, 

 swallow the liquid food, and dump the solid part out. 



DOROTHY. A good deal like I press the juice out of 

 fruit in my mouth when I don't want to swallow the solid 

 part. 



FLORENCE. One day Kenneth spoke of your craw. 

 Ha, ha, ha ! An ant has a craw ! Like a chicken's, I sup- 

 pose? 



ANT. Yes, somewhat. But an ant's craw is a sack for 

 holding liquid food. This food can be passed on from the 

 craw into the stomach or pumped back to the mouth to 

 feed babies, queens, hungry ants, pets or other guests. 



FLORENCE. An ant must have a first-class stomach 

 pump (gizzard). 



