70 WAYS OF THE SIX-FOOTED 



The hours of labor among the ant workers are 

 greater than among bees, as they have been observed 

 VForking until late at night. Some of the species in hot 

 countries wisely do their labor at night, resting in 

 their nests during the heat of the day. There seems 

 to be more originality and variety to the labors of ant 

 workers than we find among bee workers. The foragers 

 bring back a great variety of food for the house- 

 keepers and the young. Certain species in dry coun- 

 tries provision their nests for the winter. The ants 

 perform Herculean labors while excavating their tunnels 

 as well as when carrying great burdens of food. The 

 worker ants have a delightful habit of taking naps 

 when they are tired. McCook describes their sleeping 

 positions thus : — 



" Some are squatted down on their abdomens and 

 last two pairs of legs ; some lie upon their sides ; some 

 are resting upon the hind legs, standing on tip-toe ; 

 some are crouched upon the earth with faces downward ; 

 several are piled one on top of another." When they 

 awaken they stretch and yawn in the most naive and 

 human manner. In an ant's nest one thing is most 

 noticeable ; however crowded the galleries may be, and 

 however much the ants may be obliged to crawl over 

 and push each other, they do it with the utmost good 

 nature. Another noticeable thing is the free way in 



