^36 JUNGLE PEACE 



a dense line of ants moving solidly in one direc- 

 tion, all laden with large eggs and immature 

 ants, which they were carrying with great care. 

 A large number of the huge soldiers patrolled 

 the outer flanks of the column, more than I had 

 seen with all the other traffic lines together. I 

 realized at last that I was looking at an actual 

 moving of a portion of the army ant household 

 itself. It was guarded and transported with all 

 the care of which these insects were capable. 

 The infant ants rested safely in the great jaws, 

 the same jaws which all day had been busy slash- 

 ing and biting and tearing, and carrying food 

 for these same infants. 



And now the tropical night began to close 

 down and I made my way back to the sand- 

 pit. The last of the columns was making its 

 way out, systematically from the bottom up, 

 each ant following in turn. The moment the 

 last bit of prey passed up the column, by some 

 wonderfully delicate and subtile sense, every ant 

 knew of it, and the corduroy rose, the hand- 

 rails un jointed themselves, the ropes unspliced, 

 the embankments dislodged of their own volition, 

 and stepping-stones took to themselves legs. 

 After hours of total inactivity, these sentient 



