90 
A NATURALIST ON THE PROWL. 
were thickest, and left nothing but a black waste. Half 
an hour later fresh myriads were carrying off the charred 
remains of their comrades. They took them up the tree 
towards their nest, whether for food or burial rites I cannot 
say. It was now getting dark, so I gave up my enterprise ; 
but before going to bed I brought out my lantern and 
found them calmly passing up and down my tent 
ropes as before. I had done everything I could, short 
of burning down my tent, and they remained masters of 
the field.” 
This changed my feelings a little. Forced admiration 
now mingled with my aversion. It seemed to me that 
the Red Ant had acquired that power which overcomes 
every other power in the universe, the power that is born 
of utter self-effacement. I will not say self-denial, for 
the religion of society has perverted that grand word to 
strange uses. A man speaks of practising self-denial if 
he refuses meat in Lent ; as if denying beef and mutton 
was the same as denying self. So we must find another 
word for the original idea. Of course I do not mean to 
assert that ants have attained to self-effacement ; for how 
do I know that they have any self to efface? But, looking 
at u hat we can see of their outward life, I think we must 
