an intangible, animal-like organism; while the
stolid, vegetarian, unemotional, weather-swung Attas, resemble the
flowing sap of the food on which they subsist--vegetable.

Yet, whatever the simile, the net of unconscious precedent is too
closely drawn, the mesh of instinct is too fine to hope for any
initiative. This was manifested by the most significant and
spectacular occurrence I have ever observed in the world of insects.
One year and a half ago I studied and reported upon, a nest of Ecitons
or army ants.[3] Now, eighteen months later, apparently the same army
appeared and made a similar nest of their own bodies, in the identical
spot near the door of the outhouse, where I had found them before.
Again we had to break up the temporary colony, and killed about
three-quarters of the colony with various deadly chemicals.

[Footnote 3: See page 58.]

In spite of all the tremendous slaughter, the Ecitons, in late
afternoon, raided a small colony of Wasps-of-the-Painted-Nest. These
little chaps construct a round, sub-leaf carton-home, as large as a
golf ball, which carries out all the requirements of counter shading
and of ruptive markings. The flattened, shadowed under surface was
white, and most of the sloping walls dark brown, down which extended
eight white lines, following the veins of the leaf overhead. The side
close to the stem of the leaf, and consequently always in deep shadow,
was pure white. The eaves catching high lights were black. All this
marvelous merging with leaf tones went for naught when once an advance
Eciton scout located the nest.

As the deadly mob approached, the wasplets themselves seemed to
realize the futility of offering battle, and the entire colony of
forty-four gathered in a forlorn group on a neighboring leaf, while
their little castle was rifled--larvae and pupae torn from their cells
and rushed down the stems to the chaos which was raging in Eciton's
own home. The wasps could guard against optical discovery, but the
blind Ecitons had senses which transcended vision, if not even scent.

Late that night, our lanterns showed the remnants of the Eciton army
wandering aimlessly about, making near approach impossible, but
apparently lacking any definite concerted action.

At six o'clock the following morning I started out for a swim, when at
the foot of the laboratory steps I saw a swiftly-moving, broad line of
army ants on safari, passing through the compound to the beach. I
traced