218 ANTS AND CHILDREN OF THE GARDEN 



of Iheir nest and built two circular walls of their own 

 bodies. They seem to need reinforcement at H. There 

 are about 2,000 ants in these walls. Notice this plan 

 amounts to a first and second line of defense. 



C Quite a number of Robbers readied C, but very 

 few got as far as E, F, G. 



F The doorway. H The three openings in the outer 

 wall, use unknown. This battle was a sight, and I sup- 

 pose one not often seen. What general gave the com- 

 mand for the formation of these embankments of blind 

 ants, and for the distribution of ants? 

 FLORENCE. There was no panic, no haste in using 

 jaws, no undue excitement on the -part of our ants. They 

 would injure themselves worse than the enemy by a reck- 

 less use of their strong, grass-hook, scissor jaws. Do you 

 see that this would be so ? 



ALBERT. Ours seemed to keep their feelers buried in 

 the banks of ants. 



FLORENCE. There were many more of the enemy than 

 of ours, but an attacking ant had to run through or over 

 an embankment of ours before it could get to the door. 

 See the idea? I'm proud of our ants. I thought they 

 were farmers and hadn't studied out any plans for a battle. 

 Let's make them a flag and keep it hoisted on their battle 

 grounds. 



ALBERT. It was great to see so many of the enemy 

 moving into the bank of ants to disappear. But finally a 

 few scaled the walls and entered the nest. It was so dark 

 we could hardly see and we became more excited than our 

 ants, fearing the babies in the house were not guarded and 

 Avould be kidnapped. 



FLORENCE. Yes, and then AVC jumped on the enemy 

 and tramped a lot of them to death maybe five hundred. 



