is finished repairing begins. Officers 

 make tracings with the points of their 

 nippers and the worker?, after removing 

 the debris, bring the m.aterial and ar- 

 range it as was done in the original build- 

 ing. 



Sometimes a furious battle is the out- 

 come of one of these accidents. The 

 cause is another species of white ant, a 

 very lazy species, which lives upon the 

 labor of others. These ants are small, 

 mere pigmies as compared with their 

 cousins. They are extremely cunning, 

 however. Their community is also di- 

 vided into chiefs, officers and workers. 

 When they wish to est?1)lish themselves 

 in the home of the Mushroom Ants their 

 first step is to dig with their nippers 

 through the thick walls at the bottom of 

 the structure. Every particle of debris 

 is carried away and deposited in the 

 earth. They then construct their small 

 cells and tunnels between the original 

 large ones, showing a mo,st remarkable 



intelligence in avoiding too dangerous 

 proximity. When finished, these tunnels 

 are coated with a gluey substance, black 

 in color, thus differing from that of their 

 big neighbors, which is yellow. That the 

 large ants could thus live in ignorance of 

 the presence of their unwelcome guests 

 seems almost incredible, yet such is the 

 case. An accident, however, enlightens 

 them. Side by side with their own dead 

 and wounded are the dead and wounded 

 of the pigmies and a furious battle re- 

 sults. Giant against pigmy, but the pig- 

 my is not the less brave. With him it is 

 a fight for life. 



The mode of warfare is to disembowel 

 one another by piercing the soft stomach 

 with the powerful nippers. This is the 

 vulnerable part of the body and once 

 pierced, the ant is crippled and dies. The 

 scene of carnage is fearful. No quarter 

 is asked or given. The battle ends only 

 when every pigmy is dead. 



Louise Jamison. 



THE YEAR. 



Far off woodlands blue like cobalt. 

 Nearer forests reddish brown, 



Landscape white, white, everywhither, 

 Winter ! Nature's face a-frovvn. 



Tint of green o'erspreads the country. 



Tinkle, tankle, roll the rills, 

 Roar and rush the muddy rivers, 



Spring comes romping 'mong the hills. 



Roses ! buttercups and daisies. 

 Then the haughty goldenrod ; 



Summer simmers, town and city 

 Spill themselves on country sod. 



Autumn ! glaring, flaring, blaring, 

 Blaze of glory ending all, 



One last mad outburst of splendor- 

 Then again white winter's pall. 



Frank F.arringtgn. 



?o 



