Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1874-07-16
An Ant Battle.

have Witnessed spectacle OF 10 or
binary interest had they been present
at Mosquito, few miles distant from
Maryb"urough, On Saturday lust, says
tho NJ. and d. Advertiser (Australia)
Of April 3. The sight WAS that of q
battle between two opposing families
of the unite species and, having watch
cd the conflict for q considerable time,
we can safely say that it was one of the
most singular disturbances Of the kind
OH record i'll the colony. Our attention
was drawn to the spot by observing n
small crowd of persons assembled to-
gether, who were evidently very much
interested in what was going on. The
scene of tho battle was on the slope
Of hill near Penny and Clauscn's
crushing machine, and when VIC arrived
it was raging in I'LL its fury. The con-
b:.t:snts Oh one side were black ants Of
tho smallest size, and to compare the
two, the rcd ones were about three
times rs largo and powerful as the black
ones. But tho black outnumbcrcd the
rcd Ivy millions, and at that stage were
rapidly gaining the upper hand and
becoming masters of tho 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 of it rath-
or isolated from the central scene of
action, VIC discovered comparatively
hugh masses Of dead bodies lying to-
gcthcr i'll prolniscuous confusion. It
was evident that the fight had COM
menccd Mt this point, which was near
the stump Of tree, the stronghold of
the rcd ants !; and it also appeared as
if it had been carried on for some
days, and that tho red had repulscd
tho black from their holes, for the dead
there showed every appearance Of
having been washed together, and all
traces of the conflict except the bodies
were obliterated by rain. They were
then fighting at a place several yards
removed from the stump, the line of
repulse apparently being toward the
bnrrow of the black ants-this fully
100 yards off. However successful
the red tribe may have been at the
outset in beating back their assailants,
they were being gradually vanquished
by their smaller and blacker foes, and
no wonder, for fearful odds were against
them. The numbers of the red were
limited and each of them had to fight
with ten or twenty black ants some
times, indeed, one would be rushed bya
perfect army of small ants, which
would fasten to his legs, and settle
upon every part of his body, rendering
resistance hopeless and escape impossi-
BILE; yet he would not die before inflict-
ing fatal injury to some of his victors.
Now one rcd ant would struggle himself
free from its assailants, and attempt
to retreat, but only to rush into the
jaws of death in another part of the
battle field. Then another would run
t" the assistance of red comrade in
distress, when both shared the COM
mon fat.. Thus the conflict was
wagcd: Ill the time terrific slaughter
was going on-carnage as serious in
the world of ants as any recorded in
the "Fifteen Decisive Battles,' and
in that war among the lower
orders in the scale of nature, which
oil unrehecting mind might look upon
without seeing anything to wonder at
one could almost imagine he saw
the display Of rs much pluck and horoism
as was exhibited by the hosts of Greece
on the plains of Troy. 1t was most
interesting to see the movements and
of the contending
forces the wheeling, advance, and
retirement and return of the little black
and the still moro furious
and desperate charges of the red
legions. The excitement, energy, and
activity on both sides was wonderful to
behold. But the ovcrlpwcring num-
bcrs Of the black ants completely pre-
the possibility of victory Oh
the part Of the red ones. Thousands
were in the field ready to step into
the vacant ranks, and millions more
were on tho march from the burrow.
The line, 100 wards between the place
of fighting and their ratification, was
black and thick and while some which
had taken part in the fray were return
ing, still more formidable reinforce
mcnts were coming upat full speed with
call the pomp and circumstance of war;"
It would take too long to describe many
other features of this extraordinary
battle, which would not fail to strike
MI attentive observer and this hurrici
account of somewhat important ep-
isode i'll the natural history of the
district 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 afterward the black con-
l,,rcrors swarmed about, no doubt to
celebrate the conquest in manner
becoming to an ant community.