The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1868-10-10

An eminent naturalist gives the following
graphic description of q conflict between two
armies of ants.
One day when went out to my woodpile, or
rather my pile of stumps, observed two large.
ants-the one red, the other much larger, nearly
half an inch long, and black, fiercsly contending
with one another. Having once got hold, they
never let go, but gsd, and wrestled and roll
ed On the chips incontinently. Looking further,
was surprised to find that the chips wsre COW
cred with such cembatants that it was not
duel, but battle-a war between two races of
ants-the red always pitted against the black
and frequently two red ones to one black
watched two that were locked in each others
embrace, in little sunny valley amid the chips
now. at MONDAY, prepared to fight till the sun
went down or lite went out. The smaller cham
pion had fastened himself like vice to his ad-
versary's front, and through all the tumblings on
that field, never for instant ceased to gnaw at
one OF his feelers, near the root, having caused
the other to 90 by the board, while the stronger
black one dashed him from side to side.
In the meantime there came along a single red
ant on this hillside of the valley, evidently full
OF excitement, who either had dispatched his foe,
or had not yet taken part in the BATTLE -proba-
bly, the latter for he had lost none of his limbs,
whose mother had charged him to return with
his shield or upon it Or perhaps he was some
Achilles, who had nourished his wrath apart, and
mad now come forth to revenge or rescue his Pat
roclus. Watching his opportunity, he sprang
upon the black warrior, and commenced his oper-
ations the root of his right foreleg, leaving
the foe TO select among his own members and SO
there were three united for life, as if new kind
of attraction had been invented which put all
other locks and cement TO shame. l should not
have wondered, by this time, to find that they
had their respective musical bands stationed on
some eminent chip, and playing their national
airs the while, to excite the slow and cheer the
dying combatants | was myself excited some
what, even as if they had been men. | took up
the chip ON which the three have particularly
described were struggling, carried it into my
house and placed it under tumbler on my win
dow-sill, in order TO the issue Holding a
microscope to the first mentioned red ant, saw
that, although he assiduously gnawing at
the near fore-leg OF his enemy his own breast
was all torn away exposing what vitals ne had
there 10 the jaws Of the black warrior, whose
breast-plate was apparently too thick FOR him to
pierce and the dark cdrbuncles of the sufferers
eyes shone with ferocity such as war alone can
excite.
They struggled Tor half an hour longer under
the tumbler, and when looked again. the black
soldier had severed the heads OF his foes from
their bodies, and the still living heads were
hanging on either side of him like ghostly tro-
phies at his saddlebow-still apparently Us firm
ly fastened ever; and he was cndeavoring with
feeble struggles, being without ieeers, and only
having the remnant OF leg, and | know not how
many other wounds, to diyest himself Of them
which, at length, after hall ia AYar more. he ac-
complishcd. raised the -as, any lac went ov-
or tho window-sill in that crippled state. Wheth.
er he finally survived the combat and spent the
remand-r OF lis days in some Hotel dcs Iaval-
iacs, do not know. | never learned which par
~ was victorious, nor the cause oi the war: but
l felt for the rest OF that day a. if had had
my feelings excited and narrowed by witnessing
the feroctty and carnage OF human battle be-
fore my door.