THE DRAMA OF LIFE 51 



one respect their behaviour excites our admiration the 

 behaviour of the male bird to his mate and offspring. 



When nesting- time comes, a hole in a tree is found, and 

 the wife goes in and shuts the door. From material which 

 she has gathered or which her husband brings she walls 

 herself in literally ' barring the door weel '. Only a small 

 opening like the grille in the convent door is left ; 

 perhaps it helps to keep snakes and other enemies out. 

 Through the window, however, the father feeds her, knock- 

 ing with his bill if she is not on the outlook ; as he clings 

 to the bark he is (if nature be not a mirage) obviously 

 anxious about his charge ; she sits safe minding her own 

 business, he works hard bringing succulent fruit, or tender 

 mouse, or juicy frog ; curiously enough he sometimes casts 

 up the lining of his gizzard with all its contents enclosed 

 a strange votive offering on the family altar. We are 

 not surprised to learn that by the time the young bird 

 is ready to emerge the devoted father and husband ' is 

 worn to a skeleton '. The story is dramatic. 



Complications. There is a novel by Turgenief called 

 A Friend of the Family in which are depicted some of the 

 disadvantages attendant on the guest out-staying his 

 welcome. But there are far more complicated problems 

 involved in the habit many ants have of being hosts to 

 beetles. To make the matter clear, a brief introductory 

 statement must be made. Just as we have or may have 

 in or about our houses five sets of living creatures parasites 

 like the homceopathist's leech whose name of flea it is 

 impolite to mention, really inimical intruders like rais, 

 more or less indifferent fellow-inmates like the death- 

 watch, useful domestic animals like the cow, and pets like 

 the cat, so ants may have in their nests parasites in the 





