184 THE MOST GIFTED IXSECT RACE. 



companions. Four were told off to each corpse, two 

 carrying it and the other two walking behind. When 

 the bearers were tired they transferred their burden to 

 the second pair, and walked behind the others in their 

 turn. A body of two hundred or so brought up the 

 rear. 



On reaching a sandy hillock, about half of them set to 

 work at digging graves for their comrades, one grave for 

 each ant, and the other half laid the bodies in the graves 

 and filled them up with the soil. Six or seven of them 

 would not work, and were set upon and killed by the 

 others. No separate graves were made for them, but a 

 large hole was dug, and the bodies of the delinquents 

 tumbled into" it promiscuously. Only the deserving 

 soldiers were accorded the honours of such a funeral. 

 Common labourers were simply buried where they lay, 

 and no funeral procession was formed. 



This extraordinary scene was first witnessed at Sydney, 

 New South Wales, and the whole account may be seen 

 in the Journal of the Linnean Society, vol. v., p. 217. 



