NATURE NEAR LONDON 



climbed up the bank with its end of the stick, 

 after which the second followed and brought up 

 the other. An inch or two further, on the level 

 ground, the second ant left hold and went away, 

 and the first laboured on with the twig and dragged 

 it unaided across the rest of the path. Though 

 many other ants stayed and looked at the twig a 

 moment, none of them now offered assistance, as 

 if the chief obstacle had been surmounted. 



Several other ants passed, each carrying the 

 slender needles which fall from firs, and which 

 seemed nothing in their powerful grasp. These 

 burdens of wood all went in one direction, to the 

 right of the path. 



I took a step there, but stayed to watch two 

 more ants, who had got a long scarlet fly between 

 them, one holding it by the head and the other by 

 the tail. They were hurrying their prey over the 

 dead leaves and decayed sticks which strewed the 

 ground, and dragging it mercilessly through moss 

 and grass. I put the tip of my stick on the victim, 

 but instead of abandoning it they tugged and pulled 

 desperately, as if they would have torn it to pieces 

 rather than have yielded. So soon as I released it 

 away they went through the fragments of branches, 

 rushing the quicker for the delay. 



A little further there was a spot where the 

 ground for a yard or two was covered with small 

 -136- 



