The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1874-08-21
RaidiIlg Ants.

"A correspondent of the Scientific Ameyr-
can at Mount Vernon, Mo-, gives the fol-
lowing description OF these curious in
sects
| never, IN reading the natural history
OF insects, came across description Of the
ant which designate rs the "raiding ant "
Il know no other or better nane); do
not know whether this little guerilla is
known 10 naturalists; at any rate have
never met with an account OF it anywhere.
IL is one OF the most daring of all the ant
tribe, but its honesty and humanity cam
not be boosted Of. IL is about half an inch
In length, OF dark brown color /; In shape
and In movement, IL closely resembles the
common large black ant. known in nearly
all the Western States, and called the
"black colony anti but the raiding ant
differs from all Others In his warlike dis
position towards his neighbors. He Is a
meTciless murderer and robber.
have seen these ants in Northwestern
Arkansas, but never In any other country.
They are the most notorious marauders in
all the insect world. They send out spies;
and on favorable report being received
by the authorities, an expedition il set on
foot, for the capture of neighboring col
ony, and carrying oil their store and their
young as booty. On one occasion, i dis
covered a large force of these diminutive
marauders on the march There seemed
10 be many hundreds, all moving rapidly
in the same direction. every one keeping
IN his place with the greatest exactness,
and all very close together, In fact so close
that the ground could scarcely be seen in
the middle of the column. The column
was near twenty feet in length and about
fpp Va In Af hs I'm
body moved three or four who seemed TO
be leaders OF the troop. never falling back
TO the main column, except TO give orders,
as IL were. On either side of the column
moved about twelve or fifteen others, who
kept continually about one foot away from
and little in advance OF the main
column. i supposed that they were
removing from one locality To another for
the purpose Of taking up their abode
in new or more advantageous position.
| followed them for about two hundred
yards, when they all came TO halt, al the
command of one OF the leaders. The halt
was only for moment. Those who had
moved on either side of the column did
not stop as the others did, but moved rap
idly around stone, about six inches in
diameter, when they turned their heads
towards the place whence they had come.
and stopped. This seemed 10 be signal,
for the main column instantly rushed to-
ward the stone, on one side of which was
plainly TO be seen the opening Of an ant
colony. These maurauders surrounded
the stone on all sides, and rushed into the
hole as fast as they could gain admittance,
till all were In, except about fifty, who
seemed inclined to stand aloof from taking
any part In this wholesale murder and
robbery but il was not long before they
proved themselves full brothers, for soon
poor, frightened fugitive came rushing
fr I'm his home, ana ran short distance
and took refuge under friendly leaf He
had been seen by two Of these fellows out
side. who watched him TO his hiding place !;
and then with all the fierceness OF savages.
they rushed upon him and literally drag
ged him from under the leaf and killed
him almost instantly. Several others
came moving from the hole. having escap-
ed death inside, to meet it surely outside.
Very few who came from the hole
escaped being killed. Soon these raiders
began to emerge from the hole, each one
carrying something in his mouth, gener-
ally the Larvae belonging TO the colony
they had murdered and robbed. They in
stanty set out on the march for their own
home. not hating until they had reached
lHtlT OWL dDDtt. ul-idllt dDbul llItt nuli-
dred yards. They seemed kind TO the
members of their own tribe, carrying back
their killed and wounded -four or fivc).
but none of the dead or wounded of their
enemies. After pursuing the raiders
nome, returned TO the stone and turned
Ii up, and found numbers OF the dead and
wounded, and but few left to tell the dread
ful story.
have seen several of these raiding par
ties in Northwestern Arkansas, but never
elsewhere.
THE heat Of Summer, ~ well as the sud-
den changes of temperature incident TO Au-
tumn, coupled with the use Of unr,pe vegefa-
bles and fruits and other unwhoesome srti-
Giles of food. result every season in producing
much suffering from DarrhGa. Dyscntsry,
Cholera Morbus. Collie aud other derange-
ments Of the stomach and bowels. A remedy
that will promptly relieve these suffelings
and restore tone and normal alton 10 the re-
Taxed and debilitated alimentary canal, Is
surely a boon TO the afflicted. DIR. X. v.
Pierce. whose Family Medicines have ac-
qured worldwide reputation, by long study
and careful chemical experiments has sue