The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-03-12

sometimes TWO RED ones against one black,
in which case the black was soon dis
patched. For three hours 1 watched the
conflict; all around me the combatants
locked in close embrace. rolling and
tumbling about, never separating until
one was killed, and often the dead victim
had fastened with so firm hold on his
adversary that it was with the utmost
difficulty that he could free himself from
his death grip.
The sun went down. and the gathering
darkness compelled me to leave my post
of observation, but as long as could see,
the conflict was as fierce as when i first
beheld it. now picked up several of
the warriors, but so intent were they in
their terrible struggle that my handling
did not divert them in the least. I car
ried several pairs into the house, placed
them under large oval glass (the cover
of a fernery) on handicapped table, and
watched the conflict.
I found that had ten black and ten
red warriors, not engaged in a general
melee, but each intent upon killing his
own adversary. It was fully an hour be-
fore the first warrior was killed-a red
has at last dispatched his black antagon-
list; and not satisfied with killing him, he
tears his legs from his body and sewers
his antenn@. After convincing himself
that he is really dead, he looks around at
the other warriors, which are still closely
locked in their dreadful embrace, and
now he hurries from one couple to an
other, as if to see where his services are
most needed. He finds couple whose
struggles are nearly over-a black is fast
ened with death-grip to his adversarys
fore-leg.
The red hero soon sewers the head
from the black soldier, and leaves it
hanging to the leg of his dying comrade.
He now goes to another couple who are
still iercely contending; he seizes the
black, and now all three roll and tumble
about together; but the black is soon
killed, and, as in the other case, his
mandibles are locked on his adversary's
leg. But this time our hero does not
sever the head from the black soldier, but
leaves his comrade to free himself as best
he can, while he goes to the assistance Of
third less fortunate brother, where the
black seems to have the better of his an
tagonist. Here a long struggle ensues,
and now another red soldier has dis
patched his opponent, and he comes to
the struggling three, moves about them
| in an excited manner, with his mandibles
| stretched wide apart, waiting his oppor-
tunity to fasten them on the black; he
finds his chance, seizes him between the
thorax and the abdomen, ard sewers the
body in two; but the dying black does not
relax his hold of the first antagonist, and
they die together.
l now leave the fierce combatants for
| the night. In the morning. find that
every black is killed, and four red
| soldiers are dead. and two cannot long
survive. The legs and antenna and mu-
tilated bodies of the dead warriors are
strewn about, every fragment showing
conspicuously on the white marble. Out
of the twenty, fourteen are dead and two
nearly llfeless--Only four have survived.
sugar under the glass for the surviving
heroes; two find the water and drink. I
now repair to the battlefield. The
struggle is over-not black to be seen,
but a column of the red invaders is
emerging from large cavity that leads
to the numerous galleries and under
ground chambers of these Industrious
blacks, and each invader is carrying
larva or pupa. I followed the column,
which is from four to five inches in
width, to the nest of red ants before
mentioned. There was wide opening in
the side of this nest, down which they all
disappear and leave their burdens, and
again start for more plumber. All DAY long
these powerful ma1auders are engaged in
this work. they carry larva or pupa
carefully, and drop it on being disturbed.
But what does this mean? Every little
black bundle, which he carries as care
fully as he does the pupa or larva. I
stop him to enquire into the matter;
he drops his bundle, which Immediately
unrolls, and To-! it is lively black ant,
apparently unhurt, and to my eye no way
different from the warrior with whom he
was so tiercely fighting.
The books which have read on this
subject nform me that "the red ants
carry the rupa and the Larvae of the
blacks to their nests, where they real
them for slaves, but they never capture
the adult ant, for it would not stay in the
new home if they did" But these ant.
certainly carried number of adul
blacks to their nest, and am quite SURE
they did not run away, but staid ant
helped to nurse and feed the iarve.
captured several Of the red marauder
with their victim and place them unde
the glass. The reds now paw no atten
ton to the blacks, but simply try to max
their escape. take Larvae and lay then
on leaf, and put them under the glas
also and place moistened sugar in thei
reach. Very soon the blacks are feedin!
the helpless Larvae.
1 remove the glass cover; the reds i'm
medlately run away, but the blacks sta
and continue to sip the moistened suga
and feed the young. hold magnify
ing glass over them, and find the littl
\ larvae raise up their heads and open thei
: mouths to be fed, very much like yoan
: birds. I now take the larvae, tcgethe
with the nurses, and place them near tn
nest of red ants. l soon lose sight of tt
3 nurses, but the Larvae are quickly taken I'M
the nest by the red soldlers.-Ars. Ma,
| Treat in HARPER.