CARRYING THINGS. TRAILS 99 



Two of them went away, but two more came to consult. 

 The dusty ant lay down on its side and was given a good 

 examination. 



ALBERT. What did the doctors say was the matter 

 with it? 



KENNETH. Bad news, I guess. The poor thing jumped 

 up, ran away, and bumped into several ants, making them 

 open their jaws. I returned it several times, and then let 

 it go. 



FLORENCE. It must have had some catching disease. 

 Oh, yes, maybe it had mould on it or mites. There being 

 no pest house, the only thing to do was to carry it or drive 

 it out of the neighborhood. It would never do to let it go 

 into the house among 2,000 ants. You see, I've saved 

 Cecil the trouble of explaining this. 



ALBERT. What would I have to do to equal what that 

 worker did in carrying a sister forty-five feet? 



CECIL. Take a man in your teeth and carry him two 

 and a fifth miles over stones, across logs, through brush, 

 across canyons, and over hills. 



KENNETH. I have found a Harvester trail one hundred 

 eight feet long. Forty feet of it has been cleared of 

 dead grass and is a fine runway. It led to a pigeon house. 

 I guess you see why. 



ALBERT. I know a colony like ours that have opened 

 up a branch nest fifteen feet away, cleared a three-inch 

 runway through the dead grass, and the ants pass back 

 and forth. 



CECIL. I find that our kind of ants make trails across 

 the vacant lots around here just like we do. I don't know 

 whether the ants really clear the trail of weeds or do as 

 we do wear them off. 



ALBERT. Maybe we can find out. 



CECIL. I have beaten the rest of you. I know a colony 



