The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-12-08
ALEXANDRIA, LOUISIANA, WEDNESDAY,, DECEMBER 1886.
BATTLE OF ANTS.

BATTLE OF ANTS.
The March of Two Armies, the Desperate
Attack and Heroic Repulse.
Ie the summer, year ago, a swarm
u black ants, Formica Pennsylvania,
buils their nest between the ceiling and
roof Of a shed near our dwelling in the
suburbs of Philadelphia. At a distance
of few hundred feet from the shed
second colony of the same species had
also built home in sheltered place.
Both nests were unusually populous.
Battles between ants of different spe-
cies, fought for the purpose of captur-
ing slaves, have been often described.
But on a bright morning in August /
was witness of fight between these
two colonies of the same species, which
could have been waged for no such pur-
pose, and which gave the occasion for
a greater display Of forethonght on the
part of the combatants than is usually
conceded to the ant.
The nest in the roof was the one at
tackled. The only approach to it from
the ground was by post and plastered
wall about six feet high. A smooth
plank floor fitted closely against the
wall and post. and was raised above the
ground by low step. This floor was
the scene of the conflict.
While stood wondering at the unu-
sual commotion / saw at the distance
of few feet host of small workers,
closely followed by a great horde Of
soldiers streaming along fence from
the other distant nest. They must have
numbered thousands In very short
time these hostile workers had descended
the fence to the ground, swarmed up
the steps to the door, and poured in
crowds upon the defensive scouts. The
antagonists rushed upon each other,
and with their strong jaws cut off here
leg and there an antenna, and some
times severed the body of an opponent
at blow. The foremost soldiers OF the
defensive party soon came to the rescue,
and the swarm of hostile workers were
driven back toward the step.
But by this time the soldiers of the
attacking party had reached the floor,
moving deliberately onward in dense,
black mass, crushing the smaller foes
as they advanced. In a few moments
| the small workers were either all killed
or retired from the front. Then the
battle between the soldiers of the OPP
posing forces began in earnest.
Hating a moment till their
ranks were close and compact,
though by no means regular, the
invaders advanced to the attack in q
dense mass, seeming to completely cover
the floor over which they moved. In
this close array they met the defenders,
whom they greatly outnumbered. They
were received, however, with a courage
as great as their own, and their ranks
were quickly broken up and thrown
into apparent disorder.
After the general charge had been
thus made and the combatants were
mixed in an undistinguishable crowd,
single champions were seen rushing
around the floor seeking a foe When
two Of these champions approached
each other a mutual examination with
the ends of their antenna seemed neces-
sary to tell foe from friend. Many such
meetings were friendly, and after the
salutation both would rush away at full
speed. But when by the delicate test
1 of feeling or whatever serves them to
thus distinguish. each had found an
enemy, they rushed upon one another
| with the utmost rage, clinched both
with feet and jaws, and, doubling them
selves up, rolled over the floor, biting
and tearing each other, entirely un.
disturbed in their deadly work by being
| lifted up into the air with a pair Of
forceps. At one time the floor was very
nearly black with these rolling comba t.
ants.
| AS the battle progressed the superior
numbers Of the invaders drove the de
tenders of their home slowly backward
to the foot of the post. Then number
of the small workers, who had been sta
toned upon the post, ran rapidly up tt
| the nest. In moment fresh army o.
soldiers, numbering many hundreds
rushed from the nest, and, descending
the post, passed the guards at the base
dlu 4cAl upOu GiiC flCGQ1 iouo AOCS ullvlAS
them back slowly but steadily to thu
edge Of the step. The guards at The
base of the post did not appear to leave
their station to engage in the the genera
fight, and only took part in it at al
when the attacking soldiers tried to pas
them to reach the nest.
| The fight lasted about five hours ant
ended in total rout of the attacking
party. Toward the close the wounded
doubtless of the invading party, wer'
seen dragging themselves off the field
generally carrying with them some enc
my which had fastened upon them by hi
Jaws in death embrace. In man,
cases these attacked foeman were foun,
to consist only Of a pair of jaws and
head, all the rest of the body havin,
been torn away in the fight. With bull
dog tenacity the head held on firmly, re
sisting all efforts of the wounded ami
to remove it.-Cor. Philadelphia Ledge,
SCIENCE AND FICTION.
The Manner In Which tho Two Are II
debted to Each Other.
The bonds linking together sciene
and fiction are already strong. Scient