a very developed tongue; but he has less patience than the
ant-eater, and he adds to this resource other proceedings which render
the hunt more fruitful and enable him to obtain a very large number of
insects at one time. Thanks to his keenness of scent he soon discovers
an ant-path bearing the special and characteristic odour which these
Hymenoptera leave behind them, and he follows the track which leads to
their nest. On arriving there, without troubling himself about the
scattered insects that prowl in the neighbourhood, he sets himself to
penetrate into the midst of the dwelling, and with his strong claws
hollows out a passage which enables him to gain access. On the way he
pierces walls, breaks down floors, gathering here and there some
fugitives, and arrives at last at the centre, in which millions of
animals swarm. He then swallows them in large mouthfuls and retires,
leaving behind him a desert and a ruin in the spot before occupied by
a veritable palace, full of prodigious activity.

[Illustration: FIG. 2.]

The colonies are not only exposed to the devastations of those who
feed on their members; they have other enemies in the animals who
covet their stores of food. The most inveterate robber of bees is the
nocturnal Death's Head Moth. When he has succeeded in penetrating the
hive the stings of the proprietors who throw themselves on him do not
trouble him, thanks to his thick fleece of long hairs which the sting
cannot penetrate; he makes his way to the cells, rips them open,
gorges himself with honey, and causes such havoc that in Switzerland,
in certain years when these butterflies were abundant, numbers of
hives have been found absolutely empty.[15] Many other marauders and
of larger size, such as the Bear, also spread terror among these
laborious insects and empty their barns. No animal is more crafty than
the Raven, and the fabulist who wished to make him a dupe was obliged
to oppose to him the very cunning Fox in order to render the tale
fairly life-like. A great number of stories are told concerning the
Raven's cleverness, and many of them are undoubtedly true. There is no
bolder robber of nests. He swallows the eggs and eats the little ones
of the species who cannot defend themselves against him; he even seeks
the eggs of Sea-gulls on the coast; but in this case he must use
cunning, for if he is discovered it means a serious battle. On the
coast also the Raven seeks to obtain possession of the Hermit-