THE ACROBAT 67 



FLORENCE. They are a fright when performing. 

 Watch this one double back its abdomen and shoot this 

 straw when I hold its head down. Doesn't that beat you? 



CECIL. The jaws of the Acrobat are small. It depends 

 much on plant lice and plants for honey dew. These ants 

 often guard their cows and sometimes build stables for 

 them. They may have several branch nests and may even 

 live in the home with other ants. 



KENNETH. I can't find out what the Acrobats around 

 here do eat. 



ANT. Keep a lookout and you will see. 



This is the ant that never waits for an invitation to dine 

 with ours. It herds plant lice for cows and builds stables 

 for them. It can double its abdomen over its back and 

 shoot an enemy in front. 



ALBERT. The Acrobat doubles its abdomen up over its 



This Acrobat would punish an enemy 

 as it is trying to punish the straw. 



back and fires at an enemy in front, while the Carpenter 

 doubles its abdomen under its body and fires at an enemy 

 in front. 



CECIL. Yes. Take an Acrobat by the head or hold its 

 head down with a knife blade, and you can generally see 

 a drop of acid. 



KENNETH. I laid the body of a bug in the doorway 

 of our ants, but the Acrobats beat ours to it. They would 

 point their abdomens toward any ant that touched them 



