90 WAYS OF THE SIX-FOOTED 



Municipal Sanitation 



Ants, bees, and wasps are exceedingly cleanly in their 

 municipal arrangements. This cleanliness is necessary 

 surely in such teeming cities. All dirt is removed from 

 the nest and the dead are carefully disposed of. The 

 bees throw their deceased outside the hive ; but the 

 ants show a leaning toward cemeteries some distance 

 from the nests. The sight of the dead above ground 

 seems to disturb an ant's sense of the fitness of things. 

 Mrs. Treat has observed that the red, slave-making 

 species never deposit the slaves with their own dead 

 but have separate cemeteries for them. 



Personal habits of social insects are also very cleanly; 

 they brush and lick themselves with great assiduity. 

 The bees have a special antennas comb developed on 

 the front leg, a circular aperture set with spines, 

 through which the antennae may be drawn. The ants 

 have developed a regular comb in the form of a spur 

 on the tibia of the front leg. This spur is set with 

 strong spines, and is used by the ant exactly as we 

 would use a comb and brush. Ants often lend a 

 helping mandible or tongue to their fellows when per- 

 forming toilet duties, amicably licking each other clean. 



Ants carry each other about under some circum- 

 stances. The one carried curls up like a kitten, mak- 



