, 1879-01-03
ANTS.


On suitry afternoon, tho 1st day Of July,
was lazy sountering In tho grove, when, ou
looking down. found, to my surprise, TINT 1
was In the midst OF a, battlefield. A powerful
army OF red ants had invaded the dorpinfons Of
the blark colony which Tor three years past ! had
had kIud Of supervision oveE. had often
brought plants covered With aphidcs-the i'm
mortal l.innpus called these aphides tho ants
eows--and stuck tue plapts into the Garth around
their dwelling, aud llY1 given them sugar, aud
t,aa driven and carried toads from their nest
which were deyouring them. In short, had
become vcry nlucl, interested In and quito A.
tael,cd to th.a colony, but was powcrless to aid
them now. I could only look ou III Toudcr and
hstonishmcnt.
4 ynrd Or moro around the foot Of the treo
tho battle wae rngfng, and no place for the sole
OF MY foot without crushing tho combatants.
found, in every INSTANCE, rcd mt p,tted
aralnat black: Aotretlthea TWO red ones against
one black. In WINCH case the black ~aa soon tsis-
patched. Fur three honra watched The conflict;
al! around inc tlie cuuitafants Tucked In clote
embrace, rolling aud tuutslnE about, never
separating until one was killed, aud often tho
deaa, vIcfim had fastened with so l]rIn hold on
tlla adversary that It was with tho utmost utf!-
Guilty that BIZ could free himself from Ills Death
Krip.
ness compelled INC to leave my post 0f aDsefVa-
ton, but. a. long as could sce, tito conflict was
Us tlercu as when tirst pe1lelA it. now picked
t6eY !u lhetr terrible struggle that my handling
did not dtyeEt them In TITO leust. carried acy-
eral par tt,tu the house, PLACED them under \
large ovai-gfass {tho cover of n feruesy} On
mnfble-tupuc4 liable, anu watehed the c.Infflgt.
iounu had ten black atsd ten red warriors,
not engaged in u gruerul melee, hut each Intent
apo,, killing his own adycraary. II was fully
an hour l'eiore the first warrior was ki!led.-a
f,nn 3oak 1to0n F.flu t,1N ~
asl not satisfied With killing hiuu, ho tears his
! lros from hts body and sewers hts antennD.
Altcr convincing ilnlself ttat l,u IL really dra.
ars stili cluseiy Tucked Il, their dreadful en-
| brace. and now llc llurrIes frum ol,o coup1u
to anuther, ns ii to sce WHARF ills services aru
| most needed. liz finds u COUPLE whuse ssruE-
| rIy4 are nearly oycr-A bIark Is fastcuutl
with q death grip to Ills atlycrsary's fore.lcR,
Tie red hero snon sewers the head frurl The
b.ack soldier, aud lcsrcs II hanglng to
the lcg Of tiia diving cu1nrade. !le now
thrco o lo; and tumble obont tacciler; i but ths m
black is s.'on killed, and, 4s IN the "ther re's.
Jiut th,. time our l.cro do.s not sever tic head
from lhe black soldier, nut leaves hIs comraIu
to free himself as best he can. whiss he goes IT,
the assistance OF thtri tess fortunate brpthcr,
antagonist. lle1v a long struggle eusues. aud
now ppvthcr red soldier l,as Dispatched bis o1,-
punrpt, u,,t 1]p c4,tue1 TO tiie struggling three,
,pvyys ulmut them In m excited .liannrr win
hls ,nuuu,oles Btr etched wide apart, wull1,u h,s
onuortuntty tu iastsp tueln on tue black; hp
tii,tis bla CHANGE eelzes bju between tEe thorux
an,i abdomen, un{l sewers ths botly In two; but
thu diving bl1ck does not relax Ills hold Of tao
tirst antagonist, und thuy dts toge ltcr,
now icavu tile ierso eo.n.atants for The
Night III ti,e morning lind that eycgy black
il Killed. auI fur reti aolllyrs sre dead, aulj
two otLrrs co1,tmt LING survive, Tho legs uutj
autcnnw aid Wutilated bodies Of tic deal
wprr.oFs are ntrCwn aOo,it, every fragment
shuwiug cu,lspy,Iously IN tho wt,ttu marble,
| fjut of fba twenty. fourteen nrc JeutI md twu
nearly l[fclcss-only four have survived. mi
soMe ,trops VI water md ,nolatel,el sugar uuJsI
tha pla.s fvr tllc surviving l,eroes; TWO and thc
| watrr and Jrtuk. / now repair 10 ths ba,tle,
| titIJ Tne struu9lt, Il oyer-uot hIurk Il, il,
keen. but colu,pt, OF tbs rc. tuyaticn il eper.
tng from u largo ray}ky that lends To The tun,rr
ous valer!cs suti uo,lsrrFouud ctatpbers Of tuest
iuuustrlous blacks, aud earf tuysdrr is carrTinc
larya Vi pupa. i fuliuN tI,v r0|uInn. rh;cI
H. fru1u iOur to flyu tncLcs In wlitn
| 10 ttla neat of red abts brforo inr,,
tlnneu. Ttcrs IL wlIu tpentnr
in tha sfie Of tbis nc.t down when they ii .,Is
nnnur mud iruvc thelr burI.ns. Kud svatn utur