"Precisely. There are certain cavities in its outer surface which serve as barracks for these regiments of ants. But the most curious feature is the mode in which the tree provides food for its defenders. When the leaves are young, and in danger from insects, there opens a little gland at their base, which is filled with a honey-like liquid. The ants are very fond of this, and lap it up greedily. They run from one gland to another, and are thus kept constantly about the young leaves. And these little chaps bite shrewdly, so that no other creeping thing dares to venture near the leaves."
"Well, that is certainly very curious," said Harry, raising himself on one arm half out of his grassy bed.
"But that is only part of the provision," continued his uncle. "The leaf is what is called a compound leaf, consisting of a number of leaflets on one stem. When this compound leaf first unfolds, there appears at its base a little yellow fruit-like body, attached by a fine point to the leaf. It is a beautiful object through the microscope, looking like a little golden pear. It is not quite ripe when the leaf first opens, and the ants may be seen busily running from one to another to see if any are ripe. Whenever one is found to be ripe, the ant bites it off at the small point of attachment, and carries it eagerly away to its nest. But they do not ripen all at once, so that the ants are kept about the leaves until these are old enough to be out of danger."
"Well, I never heard anything quite so queer about trees!" exclaimed Harry.
"There are many strange instances of trees being aided by insects," remarked Uncle Ben; "but I doubt if there is any stranger than this. There is one tree, of the genus Triplaris, whose trunk, limbs, and even its smallest twigs, are hollow. If any person happens to break or even to shake one of these twigs, he might well imagine that the tree was alive, for he will instantly find it covered with multitudes of creeping brown creatures, which bite furiously. It is, in fact, inhabited by myriads of ants, which occupy the whole interior, and which protect the tree from its enemies by their vicious bite."
"I hardly think I would like to break switches from that tree," laughed Harry.
"I's mighty sure I wouldn't," said Willie.
"There is another tree, called the trumpet-tree," continued their uncle. "This has a hollow stem, divided by partitions, like the reeds which grow on our river shores. Ants get into this tree by boring a hole from the outside. They then bore through the partitions, and get the run of the whole interior. Every cell made by the partitions serves them as a separate apartment, some being devoted to eggs, and some to their young in different stages of growth. One cell is kept as the home of the queen, this royal lady having an apartment of her own."
"Do the ants protect this tree too?" asked Harry.
"Oh yes; they rush out in millions if the tree is shaken, and are very apt to make things uncomfortable for intruders."