190 



FLASHLIGHTS ON NATI'KK 



plenty. Then Sir John provided her with a ->m^lf 

 slave ; instantly, tin- industrious little creature srt 

 to work to clean and arrange her mistress, and to 

 . .li'er her fo<xl. This is a striking illustration of the 

 moral truth that slavery is at least as demoralising 

 for the master as for his servant. 



No. 5 introduces us to a passing phase in a 

 combat of ants a lifc-and-dcath conflict between 



two single an- 

 tagonists. Ant-, 

 indeed, are des- 

 perate fighters ; 

 the workers and 

 perfect females 

 have sometimes 

 stings, like the 

 IH vs and wasps ; 

 but in most 

 species they 

 fight by biting 

 with their jaws, 

 which are moul- 

 ded into strong 



and vice-like nippers or pincers. Moreover, they 

 have a gland which secretes the same poisonous 

 material as that contained in the venom-bag of the 

 sting among wasps and bees; and after the ant has 

 made a hole with her jaw in her enemy's armour, 

 she injects into it a little of this painful irritating 

 acid, which kills small insects. During a battle, 

 ants are all most reckless of their own lives; indeed, 

 no ant seems ever to consider herself by compari- 









NO. 5. PAYING OFF OLD SCORES: A LIFK- 

 AND-DEATU CONFLICT. 



