78 EDGE OF THE JUNGLE 
welcomes, no chanties. It was uncanny to think 
of a race of creatures such as these, dreaded by 
every living being, wholly dominant in their con- 
tinent-wide sphere of action, yet born, living out 
their lives, and dying, dumb and blind, with no 
possibility of comment on life and its fullness, of 
censure or of applause. 
The sweeping squad on the floor was interest- 
ing because of its limited field of work at such 
a distance from the nest; but close to my chair 
were a number of other specialized zones of activ- 
ity, any one of which would have afforded a fer- 
tile field for concentrated study. Beneath the 
swarm on the white canvas, I noticed two large 
spots of dirt and moisture, where very small flies 
were collected. An examination showed that this 
was a second, nearer dumping-ground for all the 
garbage and refuse of the swarm which could not 
be thrown down on the kitchen middens far be- 
low. And here were tiny flies and other insects 
acting as scavengers, just as the hosts of vultures 
gather about the slaughter-house of Georgetown. 
The most interesting of all the phases of life 
of the ants’ home town, were those on the hori- 
zontal board which projected from the beam and 
stretched for several feet to one side of the 
