The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1874-07-16
AN ANT BATTLE,

/ AN ANT BATTLE,
students OF natural history might have witnessed
a spectacle of no ordinary interest had thew been
present at Mosquito, a few miles distant from
maryporough' on Saturday last say the NJ and
u. Ao0ereser (Austraiia) of Apil3 The sight
was that OF battle between two opposing families
OF the ant species; and, having watched the con-
Aict for considerable time we can safely saw
that 1t was one of the nost singular disturbances
o. the KIND on record in the Ecolony Our atten.
ton was drawn to the spot by observing small
crowd OF persons assembled together who were
evidently very much interested in what was going
4, on. The scene of the battle was on the slope of
hill near Penny and@Causen's crnshing-machine,
and wnen we arrived it was raging in all it's fury.
Inc com oatants on one side were black ants o
the smallest size and on the other red ants of one
of the!largess size, and to compare the two, the
red ones about three times as large and powerful
as I'd e Diack ones But the black outnumbered
the reds by millions, and at that stage were rapid
ly gaining the upper hand and becoming
masters ofthe field. The ground for many yards
around was strewn with the dead, "small and
great, OF both armies ; and on tracing the line Of
battle to one portion 1t rather ipsoated from the
central scene of action we discoveredl compare
lively huge masses of dead bodies lying together
in promiscuous confusion. 1t was evident that
the light mad commenced at this point, which was
near the stump OF a tree, the stronghold of the
red ants and it also appeared as if 1t had been
carried on for some days, and that the red had
repulsed the black from their holes, for the dead
there showed every appearance of having been
together, and all traces OF the conflict except the
bodies were oblitered BY rain. hey were then
lighting at place several yards from the stump.
the line ofrepulse apparently being towards the
burrow of the black ants-this was fully 100 yards
off. However successful the red tribe may have
been In the outset in beating back their assalants,
they were gradually vanquished by their smaller
and blacker foes, and wonder, for fearful odds
were against them. The numbers of the reds
were limited, and each of them had to fight with
ten or twenty black ants sometimes, indeed. one
would he rushed bya perfect army of small ants
whichwould fasten to his legs and settleupon every
part OF his body, rendering resistance helpless and
| escape impossible yet he would not die before
1nhicting fatal injury to some of his victors Now
one red ant would struggle himself free from his
assailants and attempt TO retreat but only rush
battlefield. Then another would run to the as
sistance of a red comrade ia distress, when both
shared the common fate Thus the conflict waged;
all the time terrific slaughter was going on-car-
mage as serious in the world of ants as any re-
corded in the "Fifteen Decisive Battles" and in
that war among the lower orders in the scale of
nature, which an unrehecting mind might look
upon without seeing anything to wonder atone
could almost imagine he saw the display OFFS much
pluck and heroism as was exhi bted by the hosts
of Greece on the plains of Troy. 1t was most
interesting to see the movements and counter
movements OF the contending forces the wheel
ing, advance, and retirement and return OF the
little black squadrons, and the still more furious
and desperate charges of the red legioas. The
excitement, energy, and activity both sides wa
wonderful to behold. But the eYe1poweri u G
numbers of the black ants completely precuded
the possibility of victory on the part of the red
cues. Thousands were in the field ready to step
into tho vacant ranks, and millions more were on
tie march from the burrow. The line of 100 yard $
between the place of fighting and their fortifca-
ton were black and thick and while some
which had taken part in the fray were returning,
still more formidable reinforcements were coming
at full speed with "all the pomp and ciIcunl-
stance OF war; 1t would take too long to de-
scribe many other features of this extraordinary
battle, which would not fail to strike an attentive
observer /; and this hurried account of some
what important episode n the natural history of
thu dstr let must be concluded with the statement
that toward evening the red ants were utterly
routed and only a few stragglers escaped to tell
the tale but for hours afterwards the black con-
Querers swarmed about, no doubt to celebrate the
conquest in manner. becoming TO an ant commu,
nifty.