SOME INSECT COMMUNITIES 51 



way composed of granules of earth, under which 

 the marauding column of Ants passes. In 

 Eciton vastata only the collapsed sockets remain 

 to tell of the gradual atrophy of the disused 

 eyes ; while in Eciton erratica both sockets and 

 eyes have disappeared, only a faint ring marking 

 the place where they were once situated. 



The strange habit the two blind species of 

 Ecitons have of moving about under covered 

 ways has probably been adopted by the Ants as 

 a means of protection. These covered ways, which 

 pass through the undergrowth of the tropical 

 forest from one rotting log or fallen piece of bark 

 to another likely hunting-ground, may be over 

 two hundred yards in length, and differ from the 

 covered ways made by the Termites or so-called 

 White Ants, being composed of uncemented 

 grains of earth, built up from the soil over which 

 the foraging party is passing, whereas the 

 Termites use a glutinous saliva as a cement. 

 In the two classes of workers found in the 

 foraging parties of these blind Ants, the division 

 of labour existing is unmistakable : the small- 

 headed worker minors busily engage in con- 

 structing a covered way, while the big-headed 

 worker majors play the part of true soldiers, 

 snapping their jaws with fury when disturbed 

 by the approach of a foe, and offering to do 

 battle for the defence of their small-headed 

 companions. This division of duties, however, 

 appears by no means to be present amongst the 

 species of Ecitons who have their visual organs 

 fully developed, for the large-headed workers 

 are generally rather less pugnacious than the 



