Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-12-03
STRATEGY VERSUS STRENGTH.

The sand hornet is the greatest villain
that flies on insect wings, and he is built
for professional murderer. He carries
two keen cimeters besides deadly poisoned
poniard, 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 / know of-that care to swal-
low such red hot morsel. 1t is said that
not even the butcher-bird bankers after
him. The toad will not touch him, seem
ing to know by instinct what sort OF CHAM
lightning he contains. Among insects .his
hornet is the harry eagle, and nearly all OF
them are a. his mercy. Even the ca ,aoa.
or drumming harvest tiy, an insect often
larger and heavier than himself, ID his very
common victim. Considering these char
acteristics, it was of especial interest TO
witness an incident where one OF these
huge tyrants was actually captured and
overpowered by the strategy OF three oiack
ants.
had left the meadow and was ascend
ing q spur OF the mountain by the cage OF
a pine wood. VIXEN suddenly | espied the
hornet in question almost at my feet. he
Immediately took to wing, and as ne new
on ahead Of me / observed long pendant
object dangling from his body; The IN
cumbrance proved too great an obstacle Tor
continuous flight, and ne soon dropped
again upon the path, rod or SO IN advance
OF me. l overlook him, and on a close IN
spection discovered plucky black ant
clutching tightly with its teeth upon the
hind-foot of its captive, while with It's two
hind-legs it chung desperately to long
cluster of pine needles which 1t carried as
dead. weight No sooner did the hornet
touch the ground than the ant began to
tug and yell for help. There was certainly
evidences to warrant such belief, tor a
second ant immediately appeared upon the
scene, emerging hurriedly from neighbor-
ing 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 or
another impairment, and thus 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 tor
re-enforcenents, its companion again ap-
peared, and rushed upon the common foe
with such furious zeal that felt like pat
ting him on the back. The whole signih
canoe of the scene he had taken in at a
glance, and in an instant he.had taken a
vise-iike grip upon the other hind.leg.
Now came the final tug of war. Inc hor-
net 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 his new assailant ciutched des-
perately at everything within its reach,
now a dried leaf, now tiny stone, and
even overturning an acorn.cup in its grasp.
Finally, small rough stick the size OF a
match was secured, and this proved the
'tlast straw" In vain were the struggles
of escape. The hornet could do no more
than lift his body from the ground. He
rolled and kicked and tumbled, but to no
purpose, except to make it very lively for
his captors aud the thrusts of that lively
dagger were wasted on the desert air, for
whether or rot those arts knew it's search
ing propensities, they certainly managed
to keep clear of this busy extremity.
How long this pell-mell battle would
have lasted 1 know not, for a third ant
now appeared, and it was astonishing to
see him; with every movement OF the hor
net he in turn would lay hold of third
stick, and at the same time clutch upon
those pine needles to add their impediment
to the burden of his own body.
Practically the ants had won the victory,
but what they intended to do with the
laundering elephant in their hands seemed
a problem. But it was to them only a
question of patience. They had now
pinned their victim securely, and held him
to await assistance. 1t came. The entire
neighborhood had been appraised of the
battle. and in less than five minutes the
ground swarmed with an army of re-en.
forcements. They came from all direc,
items; they pitched upon that hornet with
terrible ferocity, and his complete dessruc-
ton was only question of moments
IGibson, in Harpers.