THE WOOD ANT. 110 



accept extraneous assistance, I broke off a little dried 

 stick to the shape and size of those that were arranged 

 about the aperture and laid it upon the others, so as to 

 match them as nearly as possible. A posse of ants im- 

 mediately came to look at the new addition, took hold 

 of it with their jaws, and after making a trifling altera- 

 tion, for form's sake, I suppose, lest I should be too 

 conceited about my architectural skill, they allowed it 

 to remain. 



It is most interesting to watch the ants bringing 

 materials for their home. If an ant finds a little piece 

 of broken fern stem that is suitable for the outer wall, 

 he picks it up by one end, holds it out straight before 

 him as if he were smoking a very large cigar, and sets 

 off briskly homewards. This mode of carrying his 

 burden is evidently adopted for the convenience of 

 steering it through the grass blades, fallen fern, and 

 other impediments, which, trifling as they appear to 

 human eyes, are by no means insignificant to the ants. 

 I have even seen an ant carrying off a grub three times 

 his own size, holding it in the same manner ; the 

 strength required for such a feat is truly enormous. 



But when a heavier or a larger burden, such as a 

 piece of stick, has to be transported, a different plan is 

 adopted. Six or seven ants are detached for the work, 

 and they set about it with a nicety of purpose that is 

 really surprising. Grasping it with their jaws they 

 gradually edge it onward in the right direction, one of 

 their number always seeming to act as foreman, and 



