The times., 1898-08-15
THOSE WONDERFUL ANTS
They Make Scientific War Just
Like Men.
HAVE ARMIES AND NAYIES
With Almost Human Intelligence
and Skill the Insects Attack and
Defend Fortifications-Ther Is No
End to the Amazing Things These
Little Creatures Are Capable of
(From the Boston Trnn.eript.l

(From the Boston Transeript)
Ants are adopts in military science.
They know the whole business from a
guerrilla movement to the siege OF a for
titled city Not all ants wariike. IT is
true, but many species are extremely so.
and of these the best example is furnished
by the EeitOns.
The EcitOns may be called exclusively
military. inasmuch as they have no per-
manent homes. but spend nearly all their
time in wariixe expeditions Some species
OF them are found in Texas and elsewhere
in the United States. but they are most
numerous in Brazil
Their armies often number millions. and
move in serried columns. Nothing living
can successfully oppose them. and the
largest and fiercest creatures OF the trOp-
icaI forests fly before them 10 escape be-
ing devOured. Wherever they move the
whole animal world is set IN commOtiOn
and put TO precipitate rout-
The main body OF the army OF EcitOns.
/ as it moves forward in steady. disciplined
/ march. is made up of the weaker ants. So
\ called, though they are lighters as well
/ as tOilers. For every one thousand work
| ers there are perhaps fifty soldier ants
/ which are of the same breed but specially
/ built for fighting purpOss. having eror-
/ nous heads and powerful jaws
These soldiers never carry anything
! or attend 10 any other business appar-
entity. but trot along on the TANKS OF the
/ column being distributed at regular in
| tervals like subaltern officers. Their
shining heads make them very eonspicu-
Gus, bObbing up and down as the regi-
! ments pass over inequalities in the road
An army of Ecitons. as IL moves for
/ ward clears the ground OF all animal mat
ter. dead or alive. Every living creature
/ that can get out of the way does So 1t
| is especially the various tribes OF wing
F,aFr 70 Fa<r-
such as other kinds of ants. heavy-bodied
spiders, maggots, caterpnlars. etc. II
man making his way through the tropical
forest happens to encounter a marching
column of these ants he is instantly at
tackled.
Numbers of ferocious insects swarm
up his legs, and wherever they find
bare spot they attack it. each one driv-
ing his pincer-like claws into the skin.
and singing with its tail with all its
might The Eciton stings like a bee. be-
ing strictly business at both ends
There is nothing for the man TO do but
run for it, and when he gets to a place
of safety he proceeds 10 pluck of the
insects one by one.
Dr. H w Bates. in his work entitled
"a Naturalist on the River Amazon" de-
scribes an attack OF a column OF EcitOus
upon fortress-i- e.. a great mound
b shaped communal dwelling of another
species Of the ants. The army began its
( assault upon the works in a most sys-
tematie manner, excavating series Of
mines.
Operations were so thoroughly organ
lied that some OF the aSSaI,ants did the
digging. while others carried away the
grains OF earth. and Others yet brought
out the larvae OF young ants which were
found in the chambers of the structure
besiesed- As fast as the larvae -=ere
/ brought out they were torn TO pieces.
their weight being too great for a single
EcitOn 10 bear.
The EcitOns are very small ants. though
in some species the big-headed soldiers
are as much as half an inch long When
the fort had been completely looted the
column marched away. laden with the
mansled remains of the victims. These
were doubtless conveyed 10 some con-
venient place. to be eaten ar leisure.
1t is not to be supposed that there was
no defense made by the tribe OF ants
thus ruthlessly attacked: on the contra
~, the resistance offered was very fierce
In ant wars generally the greatest pug
nacity and courage are exhibited. the con-
test lasting sometimes for days. and the
weaker party ultimately succumblng from
sheer exhaustion and decimation Fight
ing ants will suffer themselves 10 be cut
10 pieces rather than let go when they
have once seized an enemy
In Brazil there is a kind of an ant that
captures and enslaveS ants of other sps-
| cies- This is formidable insect. indeed
its method of combat being 10 grasp tha
head of foe in its jaws and 10 XIII BY
piercing the brain, thus paralyzins the
nervous system. Owing 70 the efficiency
of these tactics a comparatively small
force of the slave-making ants will fear
lessly attack much larger armies, suffer-
ing scarcely any loss themselves
Now and then fierce wars occur between
two colonies of harvesting ants. which
send out armies against each other The
common pavement ants. which throw UP
little hills of gravel. between paving
stones and IL. gardens. are great fighters.
and sometimes war breaks out between
TWO communities OF them that live only
a foot or two apart. Such conflicts are
apt TO be started by the intrusion by
members of one colony into the su5tsr-
ranean galleries Of the other
Ants generally. when al war, make it a
rule to carry their wounded of of the
! field of battle. but the injured of the
enemy they leave 10 die or take away ID
eat Customarily. they bury their own
dead after a fight.
Those species of ants which have no
sting possess nevertheless a tail-giand
that secretes formic acid. which evidently
is disagreeable and perhaps poisonous to
of the mounds of the so-called mound
building ants be knocked off, Immediately
the crea lures rush by myriads to the de-
fense of their dwelling. The observer.
watching from a snort distance, can then
; see, if he holds his eye at the proper level.
sort of fine spray OF mist rising from
the broken mound This is fornic acid.
which the insects are discharging TO drive
off the enemy
While each nation of ants has its stand
ing army, the notion of an ant navy seems
; hardly credible. Yet a well-knOwn nat
uralist says that on one occasion he saw
a formidable body of military ants en-
| bark on lot of chips that were
floating slowly down stream, subse-
quently landing at point a considerable
distance below. and proceeding on wh1
appeared TO be a forage
Thought Himself n Rough Rider
New York, Aug. I-Fred Behrens.