Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1859-02-24
Our Strap 8ook
CURIOUS ATTACK OF ANTS

One morning during my residence in
Trinidad, | observed an uncommon num-
her of chasseur ants crawling about
the floor of the room. They did not
crawl upon my person, but it was
surrounded by them. Shortly after this,
the walls of my room became covered
by them, and next they began to take pos.
session Of the table and chairs. | now
thought it necessary to take refuge in an
adjoining room, separated only by few
ascending steps from the one we occu.
pied and this was not accomplished
without great care and generalship for
had we troddcn upon one we'should have
been summarily punished. There were
several ants on the steps of the stair, but
they were not near so numerous as in the
room we had lett; but the upper room
presented singular spectacle not only
were the floor covered like the other
room, but the roof was covered also.
The open rafters of a West India house
lat times afford shelter to a numerous
tribe OF insects, more particularly the
cockroach; but now their destruction
was inevitable. The chasseur ants, as if
trained for battle, ascending in regular,
| thick files to the rafters and threw down
the cockroaches TO their comrades on the
floor, who, as regularly marched off with
the dead bodies of the cockroache,, drag
glng them away by their united efforts
with amazing rapidity. Either the cock.
reaches were stung to death on the raft.
er, or else the fall killed them. The ants
never stopped to devour their prev, but
conveyed it all to their store house. The
windward windows of the room were
glass. and battle now ensued between
the ants and jack spaniards. on the panes
of glass. The jack sapniards may be
called the wasp of the West Indies !; it is
twice as large as British wasp, and its
sting is in proportion more painful. 1t
builds Its nest In trees and old houses,
and sometimes in the rafters of room.
The jack spaniards were rot quite such
prey, for they used their wings, which not
one cockroach had not attempted. Two
Jack spaniards, holly pursued on the win
dow, alighted on the dress of my chill
dren. In an almost uncomfortable short
time, party of ants crawled again Oh
the fioor, dragging of their prey, and do
ing the child no harm. From this room
| went into an adjoining bed chamber
and dressing room, and found them
equally in possession of the chaSseurs.-
| opened large military chest of linens,
which had been much infested for was
determined to take every advantage of
such able hunters found the ants al
ready inside [ suppose that they must
have got in at some opening of the hin
ges. l pulled out the linens on the floor,
and with them hundreds of cockroaches
not one of which escaped.
We now left the house, and went to
the chamber, built at a little distance ;
but these also were in the same state.
next proceeded to an open store room at
the other end OF the house for place OF
retreat ; but to get the key | had to re
turn to the under room. where the battle
| was now more hot than ever the ants
had commenced an attack upon the rats
and mice, and strange as it may appear
they were no match for their apparently
insignificant foes. they surrounded them
as they had the insect tribe, covered them
over, and dragged them off, with celer
ity and union Of strength, that no QUE
who has not watched such scone, can
comprehend. [ did not see one mouse OF
rat escape, and l am sure s. en- a score
crarried off in a very short period.
[ think it was about ten when l first oh
served the ants and about twelve the
battle was formidable; soon after one
O'Clock the great strife commenced with
the rats and about three the bones were
cleared. In quarter of an hour more
the ants began to decamp, and soon not
one was to be seen within DOORS
| Sketchee of the West Indies.