134. THE BIOLOGY OF THE SEASONS 



tary, sometimes ten feet high and strong enough for a man to 

 stand on ; at the other end the dainty nest of the wasp, 

 almost as light as a feather. 



Let us take one instance of the manner of working the 

 behaviour of the tailor-ant, Oecophylla smaragdina, common 

 in hot countries. One must confess to a feeling of relief at 

 finding recent circumstantial confirmation of some of the 

 extraordinary tales that have been told of this creature. 

 Professor E. Bugnion has recently vouched for the habit these 

 ants have of using their silk-secreting larvae as needle and 

 thread when they are binding leaves together to make a 

 nest ! They sometimes find it difficult to bring two rather 

 distant leaves close enough together to be sewn. Bugnion 

 confirms the tale that five or six will form a living chain to 

 bridge the gap. The waist of A is gripped in the mandibles 

 of B, who is in turn gripped by C, and so on a literally 

 living chain, a notable gymnastic feat. Several chains will 

 work together for hours on end trying to draw two leaves 

 close together. 



Even this brief study may serve to suggest a number of 

 general reflections. The first is simple enough, that these 

 industries of animals play a fundamental part in the business 

 of the earth. This is evident when we think of the bees that 

 fertilise the flowers, or of the earthworms that make the soil, 

 or of the coral polyps that build up islands, and so on, till one 

 may count a thousand. Secondly, although we are far from 

 confident as to the psychological interpretation of many of 

 the activities, the fact is plain that they are usually ex- 

 tremely effective in their performance and beautiful in their 

 result. Thirdly, although we must be careful in applying to 

 animals terms rich in ethical content, such as altruistic, the 

 fact is plain that great labour is often expended for others 

 for the offspring which the toilers in not a few cases never 

 survive to see, 



