74 EDGE OF THE JUNGLE 



three inches these sides met overhead, forming 

 a short tunnel at the end of which the nest began. 



And here I noticed an interesting thing. Into 

 this organic moat or tunnel, this living mouth of 

 an inferno, passed all the booty-laden foragers, 

 or those who for some reason had returned 

 empty-mouthed. But the outgoing host seeped 

 gradually from the outermost nest-layer — a grad- 

 ual but fundamental circulation, like that of 

 ocean currents. Scorpions, eggs, caterpillars, 

 glass-like wasp pups, roaches, spiders, crickets, 

 - — all were drawn into the nest by a maelstrom 

 of hunger, funneling into the narrow tunnel; 

 while from over all the surface of the sv/arm 

 there crept forth layer after layer of invigorated, 

 implacable seekers after food. 



The mass of ants composing the nest appeared 

 so loosely connected that it seemed as if a touch 

 would tear a hole, a light wind rend the sup- 

 ports. It w^as suspended in the upper corner 

 of the doorway, rounded on the free sides, and 

 measured roughly two feet in diameter — an un- 

 numbered host of ants. Those on the surface 

 were in very slow but constant motion, with legs 

 shifting and antennse waving continually. This 

 quivering on the surface of the swarm gave it 



