OR, PLAIN TEACHING. 



339 



a remarkable amount of cunning or instinct, 

 subjects the little creature to a species of 

 treacherous endearment, and meeting the little 

 cow, subjects her to a large amount of caressing, 

 and by rubbing her back and head with its 

 foot, induces the pleased and gratified apkide 

 to eject a little more honey, upon which the 

 Judas of an ant leaves off stroking the deluded 

 cow, and falls to sucking up the honey he has 

 obtained by this artifice till his appetite is 

 appeased, when he walks away without any 

 further notice or compliment. 



So fully sensible are the ants of the value of 1 

 this insect, that they carry off their eggs and 

 hatch them in the safest parts of their castle, 

 where they feed them with leaves, or construct 

 particular chambers for them, where they may 

 obtain a vegetable dietary, and be always ready 

 for the food and caresses of the hungry com- 

 munity. The duration of existence of the 

 male and female ants seldom extends over the 

 autumn, most of them dying off at the first ap- 

 proach of cold; the neuters, however, endure 

 in a state of torpidity through the winter ; 

 their granaries are therefore not laid up so 

 much for the requirements of winter as for the 

 daily consumption of the colony while in active 

 existence, and for the feeding of the vymphce 

 and larvce. That the ant does not confine his 

 appetite to an exclusive vegetable diet has been 

 long familiar. A skinned rabbit, or any small 

 animal, or bird, hung up near one of their 

 populous cities, will in a few hours prove this 

 fact, as nothing but the most perfect and scien- 

 tifically cleaned skeleton will be found where 

 the plump carcass hung so lately. 



Perhaps we cannot better con- 

 clude our garden meditations, 

 than by quoting from Alphonse 

 Karr's " Tour Round my Gar- 

 den " his pleasing account of 



THE TWO CAEPETS. 



About three years ago I purchased a carpet 

 to place in my studio, as I call an apartment 

 tolerably well furnished, in which I sometimes 

 shut myself up, to prevent interruption. This 



carpet represents foliage of a sombre green, 

 strewed over with large red flowers. Yester- 

 day my eyes fell upon my carpet, and I perceived 

 that the colours were becoming very faint, that 

 the green was getting of a very dingy hue, that 

 the red had faded in a deplorable manner, 

 and that the wool had worn off, and showed the 

 weft over the whole space that led from tl.e 

 door to the window, and from the window to my 

 arm chair in the chimney corner. That is not 

 all; whilst moving an enormous and heavy 

 table of carved wood, I made a rent in the 

 I carpet, and this disturbed me so much, that I 

 immediately had the rent repaired, but I could 

 neither restore freshness to the leaves, nor 

 brilliancy to the red flowers. But this morning, 

 whilst walking round my garden, I stopped 

 before the grass-plot, which is nearly in the 

 centre of it. 



" Now here," said I, " is just such a carpet as 

 I like, always fresh, always handsome, always 

 rich. It cost me sixty pounds of grass seeds, 

 at twopence-halfpenny the pound, that is to 

 say, twelve shillings ; and it is about the same 

 age as that in my closet, which cost me twelve 

 pounds ten shillings. That which cost me 

 twelve pounds ten shillings has undergone sad 

 changes ; it is now poor, and becoming poorer 

 every day, in its tarnished splendour, thread 

 bare, disgraceful, and patched ; whilst this before 

 me becomes every year more beautiful, more 

 green, more tufted. And with what profuseness 

 of beauty it changes and renews itself ! In spring 

 it is of a pale green, strewed over with white 

 daisies, and a few violets. Shortly after, the 

 green becomes deeper, and the daisies are re- 

 placed by glossy buttercups. To the butter- 

 cups succeed red and white trefoil. In the 

 autumn, my carpet assumes a yet lower tint, 

 and instead of the red and white trefoil, it is 

 sprinkled with colchicums which spring from 

 the earth like little violet-coloured lilies. In 

 winter its white snow dazzles the eyes, as it 

 has been danced and walked over. Then 

 although in the spring, as well as the autumn, 

 it is a little worn and ragged, it puts itself to 

 rights in such a manner, that we cannot 

 perceive its wounds, or even its scars ; whilst 

 my other carpet remains there with its eternal 

 red flowers, which become more ugly every 

 day, and with its badly mended rents — How 

 rich, then, lam?" 



