128 HOME STUDIES IN NATURE. 



meets any of this tribe, hurries to the entrance and sta- 

 tions herself there, and seems to whisper to each advan- 

 cing worker, who hastily retreats with her burden. As 

 long as the sentinel remains at the gate not one of the 

 laborers passes out ; but she no sooner returns to her 

 rounds than they begin to emerge, at first slowly and 

 cautiously, deposit their burdens, and return for more. 



The Lasius are not only cannibals, but they will snatch 

 the dead body of a Pheidole from its relatives when on 

 the way to the place of interment. I was sitting near 

 the closed gate of the city, and observed that the sticks 

 and pebbles with which it was barricaded were being 

 moved to make room for an individual to go through. 

 The ants came out one at a time to the number of sev- 

 en, and removed the stones and sticks to one side, leav- 

 ing a free opening. And now one of their comrades 

 came, bearing the dead body of a young female. She 

 had died while still clothed in the white filmy mate- 

 rial in which the young are swathed — a fitting shroud, 

 through which her plump body was plainly visible. 

 Her limbs were neatly folded across her breast. The 

 bearer started alone to conceal the body in some distant 

 place, while her comrades reclosed the gate and retired 

 within the city. I followed the bearer, and saw, from 

 the direction she was taking, that she would soon be 

 in the midst of several camps of Lasius, of which she 

 seemed to be unaware. No sooner had she reached the 

 border of the camps than her footsteps were dogged by 

 one of the tribe, who soon overtook her, seized the body 



