New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-08
ANTS IN BATTLE.
a SAN FRANCISCO NATURALIST DE-
SCRIBES A WAR BETWEEN HOS
TILE TRIBES

and destiny obscure we take so little account.
Is one of the best fighters in that great world
in whose drama he plays so infiniesimai part.
There have been mighty battles on this ter
restral ball but not the conflicts or 1alner-
lanes tribes with the hosts Of Western Asia, nor
the wars of the legons Of Caius Julius Caesar
with their enemies Of the North. ever involved so
many combatants or resulted i'm so many fatal-
ties as did a recent battle in Larkspur canyon
under the shadow Of Tamalpais. 1t was war,
grim war. waged ali day long and into the even
ing and on its conclusion the field was streWn
not with thousands merely, but with millions OF
the slain.
A burning brush heap was in uncomfortabe
proximity To an ant city. and. fleeing from ther
Pompe in a frantic horde. the sleek black IN
habitants. with their great white-wnged queen
and several smaller winged princes OF tne royai
blood, made microscopic tracks along the cow
path. few Of the millions of wingless neuters
carried pupa. and brought up TN" rear Alter a
hurried march of ten miles. or say thlrty leet'
the advance guard came suddenly upon the vans
of Troy whose people were pursuing .he,i
peaceful industries, some of them carrying nou-
fu!s of clay from their caverns. and others brins-
ing in armfuls of food to be consumed by the IN
FAINT population. q believe the heretical scien-
fists have DESTROYED the force of SolOmOn'S sage
advice to the slothful to regard the saving pow
ers Of the ant by proving that the creatur nj
bcrnates in winter and stores no Victuiis' nv
working Trojans were very active. brushing past
each other with sort Of greeting discernipe
by human eyes or ears and utterly dlsresardlui
Of the heat Of the day, the news OF the victorian
Jubilee or the bung of the wheat market 1he
Greeks on the other hand. were attending as
strictly to their marching though they had
closely to mind the beats of a Sousa band
HOSTILE ARMIES MEET.
When some of the outside workers Of the Tro-
jan army were approached by the Leaders OF
the Grecian horde there was cessation OF Ia,
Dor. The chunks OF clay were dropped the VITA
oaten grains abandoned and there was quiet
transformations advance upon the invaders There
was twirling Of antenn1. yawning OF mandi-
bles and Trojan met Greek in a hand-to-hand
struggle to the death. The first fencing with the
antennse and the first clinch of the pincer-lke
jaws upon neck, back or leg were as COM
batively colorless anything in the way OF
mortal struggle could be. 1t was Illustrative OF
the matter of fac tness Of real tragedy as con
trasted with the tragedy of romance ana OIL
drama. No strutting. bombastlc nero pointed
his sword to high heaven and called upon ms
dety or yelled so no. So no. | wait the foe"
1t was just it is in real war anywhere outside
Of the prize ring. You see your enemy and YOU
quietly make for him to do him bodily INJURY OF
else you run away.
But there was no running away Of these
doughty warriors AS the Greclan army came on
the Trojans. by one, knocked of work ana
went to fighting. The Trojans had formidable
host to meet but they rocked not or that, ana
they mustered their soldiers in masses from their
black caverns and came on in innumerable ana
very Struggling companies. The combat deep
ened There were now possibly 2,HW or 3.O0D
cOmbatants actually engaged and all in 4 space
that you could have covered with pocket hahd-
kerchief There was fighting in the hOllOHS.
there was fighting on the hills. there was fight
ing in the trees for the dry grass was to these
pygmes and over it all non -combatant giant;
who could have slain hundred with his heel
at one crunch had he listed doomed with large
ALL ANTS LOOK ALIKE
Even under the magnifying glass no difference
between an invader and citizen OF the invaded
town could be discerned Some of either army
were larger than others. but all were Of the same
general shape and cOlOrng How in the scatter
ing skirmish line a single ant could know an
other ant for a moita foe it is most difficult TO
imagine but there more things in heaven
and earth than are dreamed Of in our philoso-
ply Possibly the means of recognition all lay
in those delicate and extremely sensitive twirl-
crs at the forehead, or perhaps the eyes, when
were to b. seen only through the glass. were
gifted with keener vision than that of human
Kind. Even Thoreau, who knew so much about
ants and their battles. never could decide this
point.
But now the great war has been carried well
within the outer walls Of the city. The Trojans
are growing less calm. Those not yet IN the
fight are coming Valiantly. and the Greeks
mettlesome and hardy though they be, are find
ing f0emen worthy Of their pincers Here
small ant. set upon by greater one. is aided by
a fellow-cum ba tant. and the aggressOr is fairly
torn in two between them. His head lies upon
the field and the small warrior walks back tow
ard the city with his body. Evidently Hell
lenc warrior has come To grief. But now Is he
avenged, for soldier of about the same SIZE
as his CarTicr-of comes suddenly from behind n
grass root and pounces upon the Trojan and
takes a death grip upon him. The mandibles
meet just behind the head and over the hairike
neck. This struggle is short one.
In the middle of the coWpath the steady stream
Of marching Greeks pours on to the front in
guerilla-like disorder. The front itself Is most
hazy OF define atiCn. Some of it, where four or
five sets Of ducliiss are enjoying royal fights at
the very doors Of the TrOjans' houses, Is pushed
away from the central fight by the mere act on
the part Of some of the combatantS of dragging
the ants who have engaged them UP the slope