115 



THE WOOD ANT. 



WITHIN a reasonable walk of my house there is a small 

 wood which affords opportunities of watching the habits 

 of many creatures. It is planted upon more than one 

 kind of soil, so that a plentiful supply of plants is found 

 within its limits, and, as a necessary consequence, many 

 insects live upon the plants ; predacious insects come to 

 eat their harmless kinsfolk, and birds come to eat both 

 the cannibals and their victims. 



This place is a favourite resort of the Wood Ants, 

 which have built their fragile but enduring nests in many 

 sheltered spots, and have driven their wonderful paths 

 through almost every part of the wood. For some 

 years I have passed many pleasant hours every summer 

 among the trees, and found the day only too short for 

 the many observations that came under my notice. 

 The best way to take advantage of a wood is to set out 

 with the intention of watching some particular creature, 

 and to give up one's time exclusively to that single 

 object ; not failing, of course, to mark any point of 

 interest that may present itself respecting other beings 

 that may come within ken, and to jot it down in a note- 

 book. 



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