"What a curious picture that is at
the head of this story." That is what I think I hear some of the "Little
Ones" say. "What does it mean?" some one asks. It looks like a procession
of ants. That is just what it is. A procession of ants all marching off
to find a new home. Some one has destroyed their old one. Let us hope no
one did it on purpose.
The ants are very busy and very nice
little creatures. If their houses are stepped upon, or injured so as to
be useless the ants immediately go to work to repair damages. They do not
sit down and fuss about it first, but I have no doubt they let each other
know what they think. And how do you suppose they do this? By touching
each other with their tiny feelers.
After they have talked in this way,
and decided what is to be done some of them take the eggs from the ruins
and carry them to a safe place. Look carefully at the pictures, and you
will see that almost every ant is carrying an egg. They know that if they
lose the eggs all the young ants inside the eggs will be lost too.
While ants do not seem to have a
very keen sense of hearing, their sense of smell is very strong. And where
do you think it lies ? In the same little feelers with which they talk
to each other. The first ant's house seen in the round picture has been
cut in two to show you how wonderfully these little creatures can build.
It was made by the ants that live
in tropical countries. The house at the back of the picture has not been
disturbed. Does it not look as if an architect had planned it? Ask some
of the older people in your family to tell you something more about ants.
There is much more of interest in regard to them than I have space to write
you.