72 EDGE OF THE JUNGLE 



to banish sympathy, and after a few casual wav- 

 ings of antennae, all passed by on the other side. 

 Not only this, but the unfortunates were act- 

 ually in danger of attack within the very lines 

 of traffic of the legionaries. Several times I no- 

 ticed small rove-beetles accompanying the ants, 

 who paid little attention to them. Whenever 

 an ant became suspicious and approached with 

 a raised-eyebrow gesture of antennae, the beetles 

 turned their backs quickly and raised threaten- 

 ing tails. But I did not suspect the vampire 

 or thug-like character of these guests — tolerated 

 where any other insect would have been torn 

 to pieces at once. A large crippled worker, hob- 

 bling along, had slipped a little away from the 

 main line, when I was astonished to see two rove- 

 beetles rush at him and bite him viciously, a third 

 coming up at once and joining in. The poor 

 worker had no possible chance against this com- 

 bination, and he went down after a short, futile 

 struggle. Two small army ants now happened 

 to pass, and after a preliminary whiffing with 

 waving antennae, rushed joyously into the melee. 

 The beetles had a cowardly weapon, and raising 

 their tails, ejected a drop or two of liquid, utterly 

 confusing the ants, which turned and hastened 



