Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1881-11-21
STRATEGY versus STRENGTH.

1O1e pCAiu WHOu NC puIOCouuu oldI TO-
STRATEGY versus STRENGTH.
The sand-hornet is the greatest vii
lain that flies on insect wings, and he is
built for professional murderer. He
carries two keen cimeters besides dead
ly poisoned polnard, and is armed
throughout with an invulnerable coat of
mail. He has things all his own way;
he lives life of tyranny and feeds on
blood. There are few birds-none that
l know of-that care to swallow such
red-hot morsel. 1t is said that not
even the butcher-bird bankers after him.
The toad will not touch him, seeming to
know by instinct what sort of chain
lightning he contains. Among insects,
this hornet is the harpy eagle, and near
ly all of them are at his mercy. Even
the cicada, or drumming harvest-hy. an
insect often larger and heavier than
himself, is his very common victim.
Considering these characteristics. it was
of especial interest to witness such an
incident as l have here pictured, where
one of these huge tyrants was actually
captured and overpowered by the STRAIT
egy of three black ants.
l had left the meadow, and was as
cending spur of the mountain by the
edge of pine wood, when suddenly l
espied the hornet in question almost at
my feet. He Immediately took to wing.
and as be few on ahead of me | observ-
ed long pendent object dangling from
his body. The incumbrance proved too
great an obstacle for continuous flight.
and he soon dropped again upon the
path, a rod or so in advance of me.
overlook him, and on close inspection
discovered plucky black ant clutching
tightly with its teeth upon the hind foot
of its captive, while with its two hind
legs it hung desperately to long clus-
ter of pine needles which it carried as a
dead weight. No sooner did the hornet
touch the ground than the ant began to
tug and yell for help. There were GER
tainly evidences to warrant such a be-
lief, for second ant Immediately ap-
peared upon the scene. emerging hastily
from a neighboring thicket of pine-tree
moss. He was too late. however, for
the hornet again sought escape in flight.
But this attempt was even more futile
than the former. for that plucky little
assailant had now laid hold of another
impediment, and this time not only the
long pine needles, but small branched
stick also, went swinging through the
air. Only yard or so was covered in
this fight; and as the ant still yelled
for re-enforcements, its companion again
appeared upon the scene, and rushed up
on the common foe with such furious
zeal that felt like patting him on the
back. The whole significance of the
scene he had taken In at glance, and
in an instant he had taken vise-like
grip upon the other hind-Ieg. Now
came the final tug of war. The hornet
tried to rise, but this second passenger
was too much for him; he could only
buzz along the ground, dragging his
load after him, while the new assailant
clutched desperately at everything with
, In its reach, now dried leaf, DOW a
!, tiny stone, and even overturning an
acorn-cup in its grasp. Finally, q
| small rough stick the size of match
was secured. and this proved the "last
+ straw" In vain we're the struggles Of
escape. The hornet could do no more
thau lift his body from the ground. He
rolled and kicked and tumbled. but t.
no purpose, except to make it lively fol
his captors; and the keen thrusts o
that lively dagger we're wasted on th'
( desert air, for whether or not those ant
: knew its searching propensities, the.
g certainly managed to keep clear of tha
o busy extremity.
: How long this pell-mell battle woul'
!. have lasted | know not, for third an
t now appeared. and it was astonishing t
y see him; with every movement of th
S hornet. he in turn would lay hold of
it third stick, and at the same time clutc
!. upon these pine needles to add their i'm
L pediment to the burden of his own body
| Practically the ants had won the vic
e tory, but what they intended to do wit
% the houndering elephant i'll their hand