22 TWO CHAPTERS ON ANTS. 



whicli the larvse and the pupae had been 

 carried, and compel all the inhabitants to 

 go in and out through another smaller door. 

 While this entrance is being closed, two or 

 three of the red soldiers stand just within 

 the door-way and help to arrange the sticks 

 which the blacks bring. Occasionally a red 

 soldier which has been meandering about 

 the premises comes to the nearly closed en- 

 trance as if he would like to pass in ; imme- 

 diately the antenna of one of the guard 

 within is thrust through a small opening, 

 and the one outside touches the antenna 

 with his own, and then walks away and 

 passes through the side door. 



After the entrance is closed I remove the 

 covering ; this makes a great commotion 

 among the soldiers; a large number rush 

 out and run about in an excited manner. 

 Finding nothing on which to vent their 

 rage, they soon become quiet ; some return 

 within, but a good number stay out and as- 

 sist the blacks in reclosing the entrance. 

 First they bring sticks from an inch to three 

 inches in length and lay them across the 

 opening, not in any regular order; often the 

 end of one of the sticks is pulled in by those 

 within, and the other end left sticking out. 

 All sorts of material is brought and piled 



