The Savannah morning news., 1901-10-25
HOW ANTS CONDUCT WARS.
Their Tactics Are Not Unlike Those
Employed by Human Beings.

(The Scientific American)
Was it the attempted application of
the doctrine of territorial expansion;
was it case of forcing a higher order
of civilization upon an energetic and
unwilling race; was it retaliation for
real or fancied insult to national honor;
was it, perhaps, because of an interest
in the slave trade or a gold mine or
diamond mine; was it any or none
of these reasons that led to the terrific
and decisive battles of which l was an
interested witness some years ago? 1t
Will perhaps never be determined what
were the causes underlying a struggle
of three days duration, marked by
carnage, feats of strength and deeds
of valor such as it rarely the lot of
historian to record.
l was sitting one summer afternoon
in the shadow of my cottage near a
stunted lilac bush when my attention
was attracted to a horde of large black
ants crossing a narrow roadway which
| lay between my house and that of a
neighbor in the same yard. Their OBJ
| jective point, l soon perceived, was the
foot of the lilac the ground around
| which had been honeycombed by little
red ants half as large as the others.
| There seemed to be an unusual excite
ment here. Possibly a sentry or scout
had brought news to the colony of the
| approaching army. At least they were
not being attacked unawares. The in
| vaders were met near the foot of the
| bush and the war was on. The battle
ground was confined to a space perhaps
three feet square, but here among the
hillocks and ravines in miniature all
| the tragedies and triumphs of war were
| enacted
There was at first arrangement and
order when van met van, but the con-
fiict soon resolved itself into a general
catch as-ca tch-can encounter. Woe to
| the red ant luckless enough to get into
| the jaws of its larger foe One closing
up OF those powerful instruments and
crushed, helpless mass was flung
aside. The smaller, however, had the
| advantage both in number and agility
| and fought in pairs or triplets. Thus,
while the black ant generally killed
one or more of its antagonists, it was
itself doomed. The duration of a battle
varied from five to fifteen minutes,
| ceased by the disappearance of the in
| Vaders. to be suddenly renewed later.
1t was pathetic during these periods
| OF truce to note the casualties and the
movements on the fateful field. Busy
little army surgeons or possibly mem
| DCtS VI lIlG fNeu OTOSS CORPS hurried
| from one mangled body to another.
Sometimes a feeble response on the
| part of the wounded soldier to the anx-
icus inquiry of the relief was noticea-
| bic. The solicitous and universal SYM
| pathy of the unframed for their less
fortunate companions was a sight never
to be forgotten. The ground was strew-
ed with bodies in all stages of dismem-
berment-legs gone, antennae missing,
hEn v.n1 Eer.. l. . L. l..
itself sectioned. Here and there one
mortally wounded dragged itself slow
ly and painfully to some obscure spot
to die. Others were helped away to a
| place of security, but in such condi-
ton that 1t is safe to infer they passed
their remaining days in a hospital or
some home for the disabled For three
days, in at least as many battles each
day, the conflict ragged. Each day wit
messed a perceptible thinning out of
the ranks. but the vigor and spirit of
the contest kept up till near the close.
| DESTROYS Of knowing what effect the
| presence of strange surroundings would
have on the combatants l procured a
| large glass dish and captured several
of both species, This l repeated at
various times. Invaribly. while at first
trying to escape, upon becoming aware
of each others presence they grappled
and fought to the death. Valor. honor,
hatred, revenge-what was it?-domi-
mated entirely over fear
Against the stubborn resistance and
| greater number of their antagonists the
invaders could not hold out A panic
finally seized the survivors such as
comes upon human warriors-an I'M
utterable, unreasoning fear and
thoroughly defeated in their object
whatever it might have been, for days
after hostilities ceased any unusual
noise near their dwellings would send
each individual hurriedly TO shelter as
If an avenger were at it's heels.