ANTS AND THEIR HELPLESS CHILDREN. 273 
however, you cannot see without a very strong lens. 
But even with the naked eye you may discover the 
tiny spur (s, F, Fig. 91), which sticks out from the 
third joint of each leg, and a magnifying glass will 
show that this spur on the two front legs is larger than 
on the others, and bears on its edge more than fifty- 
five elastic teeth (V, Fig. 9 2), while another set of similar 
teeth on the leg itself (Ic) face it, and can be rubbed 
up against it. These are the toilet-brush and comb 
of the ant; and when- 
ever she has been 
doing any dirty work, 
she will pause, and 
use them to brush off 
the dust or mud 
which has clung to 
the delicate hairs and 
bristles of her body. 
Then she will after- 
wards pass the brush 
and comb through 
her mandibles, and so 
Fig. 92. 
Ant's Head and Foot. 
Head — e <?, eyes ; a a, antennae ; m m t 
clean them afresh for mandibles ; //, jaws ; t, tongue. 
Foot — s, spur ; <r, comb of spur ; / c t 
legcomb. 
work. 
It is, however, the 
head of the ant which is above all remarkable. 
You will be struck at once with its curious 
triangular shape, its large size, and its flatness, while 
the small eyes (e, Fig. 92), and the antennae (a), 
bent like the elbow of an arm, are very different 
from what we have seen in other insects. It seems 
strange at first that active intelligent creatures like 
ants should have such small eyes as many of them 
