34 
NATURE’S CRAFTSMEN 
tended each day, until they hatch in early spring 
time, when the ‘ calves 9 are brought up and 
turned out to pasture on the particular foliage 
which each species requires.” 
“ I was reading something about that very 
point just the other day,” Auntie observed. “ It 
seems that a noted scientist had tried in vain to 
rear a drove of aphids from some odd black eggs 
he had discovered. He succeeded in hatching the 
young all right, but they would eat nothing he 
brought them, and finally starved to death. So, 
having the good fortune to come upon some more 
of the eggs later in the season, he wisely carried 
them down to the yellow meadow ants. These 
little people apparently accepted the offering in 
great glee, and lost no time carrying the eggs 
below. Days and months passed, and then came 
the time for the annual spring pasturing of the 
young aphids. The scientist watched carefully, 
but he saw no young calves resembling the ones 
he had lost, and finally he concluded the ants had 
been as unsuccessful as he. He was on his way 
back to his laboratory, trying to forget his dis¬ 
appointment, when he stumbled upon an ant 
cowshed strongly built and double guarded. 
Evidently here was a special prize herd. On ex¬ 
amination, what should he find but the very calves 
he had longed for, feeding contentedly upon the 
foliage of a daisy plant and apparently thriving 
