230 CONFESSIONS OF A BEACHCOMBER 



of engineering with co-operative labour. Spaces between 

 leaves and twigs four and five inches wide are bridged by 

 chains of ants — each individual clasping with its mandibles 

 above the abdominal segment its immediate companion ; 

 occasionally the ant grips its fellow by the posterior legs, 

 and is so held by the next in order. In the construction 

 of these chains ants hastily mass at each side of the gulf to 

 be spanned, and crawling, or rather running over each other, 

 form pendant strands, each ant a living link. The chains 

 sway until the terminal links engage, when they are im- 

 mediately shortened up. Several of these chains are swung 

 across parallel to each other with astonishing rapidity ; and 

 in addition to the constant strain of the hauling workers at 

 each end they are used as bridges by innumerable other 

 workers and fussy superintendents, the traffic on them being 

 almost as voluminous and bustling as that of a Thames 

 thoroughfare. Gradually the most obstinate branchlet with 

 its spray of leaves is drawn into juxtaposition with the main 

 part of the mansion. Then the living spans become more 

 numerous, presenting the appearance of great stitches. As 

 the edges of the leaves are brought together they are 

 fastened with white gossamer while the tireless workers 

 strain themselves, heroically holding the edges in apposi- 

 tion. The gossamer seems to be obtained in part from the 

 pupuse, which, borne in the mandibles of workers, are passed 

 to and fro as weavers' shuttles. As a rule, insects which 

 house themselves in leaves are vegetarian, but the green ant 

 is demonstratively carnivorous, using leaves solely for shelter. 

 An aboriginal — to repeat perhaps a needless observation 

 — regards the most of things of this earth from a dietetic 

 standpoint. He does not so regard the green tree-ant in 

 vain. He knows when the pocket is packed with white 

 larvae and white helpless infant ants, or with helpless green 

 ones big of abdomen, and consenting to the assaults of the 

 adults, cuts away the supporting branch and shakes off the 

 furious citizens, or expels them with the smoke and fire of 

 paper-bark torches, or, maybe, casts the pocket into water 

 so that the adult ants may swim ashore, abandoning those 



