208 ANTS AND CHILDREN OF THE GARDEN 



lives in damp places. Once I couldn't get water through 

 our lawn hose and I found one end plugged up with sow 

 bugs. The sense of touch is mainly located in its feelers, 

 as are the senses of hearing and smell. It can taste, al- 

 though it has no tongue. 



ALBERT. It holds with its feet and tears with its jaws. 

 Some kinds can roll up like an armadillo, but the ones 

 around here don't. 



DOROTHY. Since the rains, nearly every stone has 

 several different animals living under it. I suppose many 

 of them have been deep in the ground, where it is damp, 

 through the dry season. 



CECIL. I saw twelve Longlegs going in and out of a 

 nest of sow bugs. 



ALBERT. Well, it's the middle of March, and it's rained 

 three inches within the last week a regular flood that 

 has done much damage. The earth cracks are full of water 

 for the first time this year. All ants' nests around here are 

 flooded except ours and Longlegs. 



CECIL. The drowned will soon come to after the water 

 drains off. 



FLORENCE. Some sow bugs and snails were crawling 

 along on the bottom of a puddle. A cricket jumped into a 

 little pond, but was a fine swimmer. He is my pet cricket, 

 even if he is a cripple, and has but one big leg. I know 

 where he lives. 



KENNETH. Those you saw were slugs, Out there are 

 real snails around here, and they do much damage to 

 gardens. Each carries its house on its back 



FLORENCE. I put some walnut, almond and squash seed 

 in the sun-parlor but was disappointed when I found thirty 

 Acrobats in the room eating squash seed and only two of 

 our ants were present. The Acrobats go into a neighbor's 



