them back under the servants' quarters, through two clumps of
bamboos to the outhouse. Later I followed along the column down to the
river sand, through a dense mass of underbrush, through a hollow log,
up the bank, back through light jungle--to the outhouse again, and on
a large fallen log, a few feet beyond the spot where their nest had
been, the ends of the circle _actually came together_! It was the most
astonishing thing, and I had to verify it again and again before I
could believe the evidence of my eyes. It was a strong column, six
lines wide in many places, and the ants fully believed that they were
on their way to a new home, for most were carrying eggs or larvae,
although many had food, including the larvae of the Painted Nest
Wasplets. For an hour at noon during heavy rain, the column weakened
and almost disappeared, but when the sun returned, the lines rejoined,
and the revolution of the vicious circle continued.

There were several places which made excellent points of observation,
and here we watched and marveled. Careful measurement of the great
circle showed a circumference of twelve hundred feet. We timed the
laden Ecitons and found that they averaged two to two and
three-quarter inches a second. So a given individual would complete
the round in about two hours and a half. Many guests were plodding
along with the ants, mostly staphylinids of which we secured five
species, a brown histerid beetle, a tiny chalcid, and several Phorid
flies, one of which was winged.

The fat Histerid beetle was most amusing, getting out of breath every
few feet, and abruptly stopping to rest, turning around in its tracks,
standing almost on its head, and allowing the swarm of ants to run up
over it and jump off. Then on it would go again, keeping up the
terrific speed of two and a half inches a second for another yard. Its
color was identical with the Ecitons' armor, and when it folded up,
nothing could harm it. Once a worker stopped and antennaed it
suspiciously, but aside from this, it was accepted as one of the line
of marchers. Along the same route came the tiny Phorid flies, wingless
but swift as shadows, rushing from side to side, over ants, leaves,
debris, impatient only at the slowness of the army.

All the afternoon the insane circle revolved; at midnight the hosts
were still moving, the second morning many had weakened and dropped
their burdens, and the general pace had very appreciably slackened.
But still th