LEAVING the beetles—though as there are probably some thousands that live habitually in ants’ nests, we have said very little about them—we may glance at an extraordinary little creature, in appearance something like a wood-louse with a fish’s tail, that resides with certain ants on the footing of a freebooter, constantly stealing from them, and eluding their resentment by extreme activity, living, as it were, in a state of perpetual motion. The legs of these persistent yet withal timid brigands are many and long, which, together with their shape and general lightness of build, enables them to run with great speed, so that they easily outdistance the ants, and, escaping to some less frequented part of the nest, with which they are always well acquainted, remain there quiet for a time. Should a single ant approach them, however, they immediately run away, or, if forced by circumstances to be near one or more—which, in an ants’ nest, must be often difficult to avoid—make a point, apparently, of never keeping still, as though to confuse them, or, perhaps, to be the better able to dash off at any instant. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [Illustration: AN INSECT FREEBOOTER, AND AN INSECT BEGGAR.] The extraordinary looking insect shown towards the top is the lepismid, or fleet-foot, who lives by stealing food from ants when they are in the act of passing it from one to the other. The atemeles beetle shown below is begging food, which will not be refused, from the ant in front of him.