68 TWO CHAPTERS ON ANTS. 



then one returns to the nest, while the other 

 proceeds with the remains until she reach- 

 es the distance of some thirty yards, and 

 leaves it on the carriage drive. Their own 

 wounded were all taken within the nest, 

 and a part of the dead were taken in ; but 

 the next day I saw three dead brown ants 

 brought out and carried away. 



Through the summer this colony of brown 

 ants were all nearly of one size, and I sup- 

 posed there were no minor workers among 

 them ; but on the last day of August I saw 

 a large brood around the entrance of the 

 nest not more than half the size of the rest 

 of the colony, and they were teasing the 

 nurses to stop and feed them, precisely as I 

 had seen the slave-makers doing a month 

 earlier. Some of the nurses would heed 

 their entreaties, another would turn back 

 and go toward the honey, followed by two 

 or three of these inexperienced young. On 

 reaching the food the nurse would put her 

 mouth down to it, as if showing these young 

 ants how to help themselves (she certainly 

 could want no more herself; her honey-sac 

 was rounded out almost to bursting), which 

 they usually did, at first making awkward 

 work, very much like a young kitten in its 

 first attempts to take milk from a dish. 



