A STRANGE GRAZING-FIELD. 
261 
of plants. The transmission of this honey to the ants is effected 
quietly, and, as it were, by mutual agreement. 
It operates by a kind of titillation or gentle traction, such as we 
exercise upon the cow. These grubs, placed at the extreme limit of 
animal life—viviparous in summer, oviparous in autumn—are very 
humble creatures, and prodigiously inferior in intelligence to the 
ants. The magnifying-glass reveals them to the observer as always 
bent, and always engaged in feeding. Their attitude is that of the 
cattle. They are, in truth, the milch-cows of the ants; and that 
they may always profit by them, the latter frequently transport 
them to their ant-hill, where they live together on admirably 
good terms. The ants take great care of the grubs, superintend 
the incubation, and nourish the adults with their favourite vege¬ 
tables. 
In situations where great difficulty would be experienced in trans¬ 
porting and installing them, they empark them on the ground by 
throwing up around their field of pasture a fence of twigs and cylinders 
of earth. This may justly be termed the grazing-field, the chalet of 
the ants; which repair to it at certain hours to milk their herds, and 
sometimes carry their young thither for the easier distribution of the 
food. I am frequently present, especially in the evening, at these 
Dutch-like scenes, which have hitherto found no Paul Potter among 
the ants to depict them. 
Observe that these grubs, whether transported to the ant-hill or em- 
parked on their favourite feeding-ground, possess the inestimable ad¬ 
vantage of having their safety guaranteed by the redoubtable republic. 
The “ lion of the grubs ” (as a small worm is called), and other wild 
beasts, if they dared approach the herd, would feel very cruelly their 
strong mandibles and burning formic acid. 
So far, then, we have no reproach to make; the grubs are cattle, 
and not slaves. The ants do exactly what we do; they make use of 
the privilege of superior beings, but exercise it with more gentleness 
and management than does man. 
But we now come to a more delicate consideration. There are two 
kinds of ants, of a tolerable size, but otherwise of no peculiar distinc- 
17 B 
