CHAP. X. SPORTS AND PASTIMES OP ANTS. 345 



again, they wish to pass from one plant to another, 

 they may he often seen formed into a bridge, of two 

 palms length, and of the hreadth of a finger, which 

 has no other support than that of its two extremities. 

 It would naturally be supposed that they would sink 

 with their own weight ; yet it appears certain that they 

 do not, and that the masses remain floating during the 

 inundation, which lasts some days.* 



(347.) These living bridges are more particularly 

 described by Mad. Merian. One ant lays the found- 

 ation by fixing itself to a piece of wood, by means of its 

 jaws, and then remains stationary. With this a second 

 ant connects itself, a third takes hold of the second, a 

 fourth follows, and so on until a long connected line of 

 ants is formed, fastened at one extremity; this floats, 

 exposed to the wind, until the other end is blown over 

 so as to fix itself on the opposite side of the stream, 

 when the last ant effects a landing, and becomes moored 

 to the shore, so that, the bridge being thus formed, the 

 rest of the colony pass over the backs of their com- 

 rades, as upon a bridge. We must join the authors of 

 the work so often cited in this section, in their incre- 

 dulity of such a marvellous narrative ; particularly as 

 we know, from personal observation, that Mad. Merian 

 was much given to exaggerate the real wonders she 

 beheld in Surinam ; yet the preceding account of Azara 

 invests her story with some degree of probability. 



(348.) The sports and pastimes of these wonderful 

 creatures may not be unworthy of our attention, after 

 the many and Herculean labours which we have so long 

 dwelt upon. With this part of their economy we shall 

 conclude their <c strange eventful history/' M. Huber 

 informs us, that, when their labours are finished, they 

 are very fond of stretching themselves in the sun, where 

 they lie heaped one upon another, enjoying, with much 

 apparent pleasure, a short interval of repose. Gould 

 also remarks, that they are very fond of basking in the 

 sun ; and that, on a fine morning, they may be 



* Azara's Voyage. 



