190 



Flashlights on Natckic 



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plenty. Then Sir Jolin provided her with a single 

 slave ; instantlv, the industrious little ereature set 

 to work to clean and anantfc her mistress, and to 

 offer her food. 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 life-and-death conflict between 



two single an- 

 tagonists. Ants, 

 indeed, are des- 

 perate fighters ; 

 the workers and 

 perfect females 

 have sometimes 

 stings, like the 

 bees and wasps ; 

 but in most 

 species they 

 light 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. 



I'AYINC, OI'K OLD SCORES: A MFE- 

 ANU-llKATH CONFLICT. 



