New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-26

THE ONLY CREATURES EESIDES MAN
THAT FIGHT SCIENTIFICALLY.

WORKERS. WHICH ACCOMPANIES THE ARMY
FORMIDABLE IN SHIRT AND METHOD.
From The Boston TRANSCRIPT
The art If war is understood and practscd ny
ONLY one kind of animals besides man. Those
animals are ants. r,
Ants are adopts in military science; Ihey
know the whole business. from guerlha noVr
ment to the siege Of a fortified city. Not All
ants are warlike. ii is true, but many Sp''les
are extremely So and Of these the best example
is furnished by the Ecitons. 49,
The EcitOns may be called exclusively mil-
tary. inasmuch as they lave no permanent
homes but spend nearly all their time in war
Ike EXPEDITIONS. som" species oi thot. a,
found IN Texas and elsewhere IN the uH''ou
States but they are most numerous III biaZli
Their armies often number millions. AID move
in scrricd columns. Nothing living can #u cess
fully oppose them. and the largest ana herceS'
creatures of the tropical forests fly before th'm
To cscap.. being devOurrd. Wherever they NOV"
the whole animal world is set in c"mhoti'n ana
put - preCptatc ICpt
Tn main body of the army of E'ii'ns as IL
moves forward in steady. disciplined march :
mad up II The worker ants. So-callri. though
they are fighters as we'll as toilrrs. FOR e'tN
one thousand workers there are perhaps MY.
"soldier ants" which are II ia" same breed. hu'
specially built for fighting purposes having
enormous heads and powerful Jaws. ines" SOL
dlcrS never carry any thing IT attend 10 any
other business apparently but trot along Oh TN"
tanks Of the column. being distributed AT r'Eu-
lar intervals like subaltern officers. Their SHIN
ing white heads make them very conspicuous.
bobbng up and GOWN the regiments pass
over Inequalities in the road.
There are ten known species Of these ants in
Brazil one Of these. called sues"stivey Prcda-
tor prefers the phalanx formation. one "f its
phalanxes the march over clear and smooth
ground occupies a space Of from four To SIX
square yards. the insects being dcnsely massed
While al army of Ecitons advances IN com
pact order skirmishcrS thrown on. ana
here and there a small column leaves tho main
body To forage II snIr. very rich ilic" b."
found anywhere near H.. line e march fer x
ampl, a mass II rotten wood ahpund.ns 30 IN
sect gruhs- A halt is ordo red and a strong force
IS conc,ut rated upon it. Tho ants search every
Granny and tear in pieces al th- itfe- -tins
thry drag t. light
MN. .p,,v as. TIN. ,,r.u
i'''+ anu
A. arm, Il lions ID. u moves lYlaIrl
cl-,rs ilo -r.rnd # an ar.n..i! matter. 3 iI ,r
eIr. l-,.r, living .r,atuf. thsf can -..f nIf
OF th. ,,a. 4 .s so % i- -je,.4Iit 81. ..It,ls
tribe = Wingl,ss lus .t- That lave taus" 20
fear such A. other iiids Of ants. !. art be- =
spidc.s fra-gote cat.ii liars. .tr +, uitu
MAXIM his way through ihc tropical i,t.-'
happen. t. encounter % MARCHING 'ilurr r.
thosc ants be is Instant. attacked Numbers
o. the frrocious Insect swarm up hI- logs ii.I
Wh.f-,,. th.y ind q bar. spot flI.. '''t
each on, driving It's pi.r-rIlk. jaws lrf' th.
ski and singing Nitn Its ial Win 90. us
uiphf TIL. Eciinu sting. like a bee, n.l4s
etrictly "busir IS" at both ends Their. .1'l
ing r,r tn, man to d. hui run flr IT, and @h.i.
he gets To- a place Il slr-.y hc proceeds 70
pluck of the insects by one. Usually ID. th"
operation th,y ar pulled m twain. l"aNiue th'ir
heads and Jaws Sticking IN IA" wound Tie.
military ants never l,t ~ when ono" th"s have
grabbed anything
Dr II " Bates H. his work entitled 4 Sat
urast on the River Amazon" describes An At
tack b. a column - f.ci,.n. upon fortress
l. g.. great mOund-shap'd communal dwelling