LIFE IN THE INSECT WORLD. 29 



I had taken a particular fancy, and considered 

 especially my own. Every day I watched my 

 little favorites, until I had learned to regard 

 them with a sort of motherly affection. I fre- 

 quently carried cake and sugar with me from 

 home, which I scattered sparingly around their 

 habitations. 



One morning I filled my little paper with sugar, 

 concluding my friends should have a generous 

 treat. I strewed it thickly over the pavement, 

 and soon had the satisfaction of seeing the whole 

 swarm of ants partaking of the delicious food. 



After remaining with them as long as I could, 

 I left them still enjoying their feast. The next 

 morning I started full of interest to see how they 

 fared after their repast; when lo! what was my 

 consternation, on approaching the hills, to find 

 them still covered and surrounded, not with 

 living, eating ants, but with the dead bodies of 

 my little favorites, increased to nearly twice 

 their natural size. The greedy little beings had 

 stuffed themselves to death, and I was the cause 

 of all this mischief. ,1 believe I never fed an ant 

 afterward. 



I was always much interested in observing 

 the ants meet each other as they passed to and 



