The Savannah morning news., 1901-08-13
HUMAN WARFARE PARALLELED.
by Tribes of BIoodthirsty Ants Who
Battle to the Death.

Battle to the Death.
M. M. Sherrick in Scientific American.
Was it the attempted application Of
the doctrine of territorial expansion;
was it case of forcing higher order
of civilization upon an energetic and
unwilling race; was 1t retaliation for
real or fancied insult TO national hon
or: was 1t, perhaps, because of an IN
terest in the slave trade or gold mine
or a diamond mine; was IL any or none
of these reasons that led to the terrific
and decisive battles of which 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 car
mage, feats of strength and deeds of
valor such as is rarely the lot of his
torian 10 record.
was sitting one summer afternoon
in the shadow Of my cottage near a
stunted lilac bush, when my attention
was attracted to 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 soon perceived, was the
foot of the lilac, the ground around
which had been honey combed by lit
tie red ants less than half as large as
the others. There seemed to be an I'M
usual excitement here. Possibly a sem
try or scout had brought news to the
colony of the approaching army. At
least they were not being attacked I'M
awares. The invaders were met near
the foot of the bush. and the war was
on. The battle ground was confined to
space perhaps three feet square, but
here among the hillocks and ravines
miniature. all the tragedies and tri-
umphs 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 catch-can encounter. Woe TO
the red ant luckless enough to get in
to the jaws of its larger foe. One clos
ing up of those powerful instruments
and crushed, helpless mass was flung
aside. The smaller, however, had the
advantage both in numbers and agility,
and fought in pairs or triplets. Thus,
while the black ant generally killed one
or more of its antagonists, II was it.
self doomed. The duration of battle
varied from five to fifteen minutes,
cease by the disappearance of the in
vaders, to be as 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 men,
bers of the Red Cross corps, hurried
from one mangled body to another.
Sometimes a feeble response on the
part of the wounded soldier TO the
anxious inquiry of the relief was no.
ticeable. The solicitous and universal
sympathy of the unframed for their
less fortunate companions was a sight
never to be forgotten. The ground was
strewed with bodies In all stages of
dismemberment-legs gone, antennae
missing, head severed from the body,
the body itself sectioned. Here and
there one mortally woundede dragged
itself slowly and painfully TO some OBJ
scure spot to die. Others were helped
away to a place of security, but in such
a condition that IL is safe TO infer they
passed their remaining days in a hos
pital or some home for the disabled
For three days, In at least as many
battles each day, the conflict ragged.
Each day witnessed perceptible thin.
ming 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, / procured
large glass dish and captured several
of both species. This / repeated at
various times. Invariably. while at
first trying to escape, upon becoming
aware of each others presence, they
grappled and fought to the death. Val
or. honor. hatred, revenge (what was
it?) dominated entirely over fear.
Against the stubborn resistance and
greater numbers of their antagonists
the invaders could not hold out A
panic finally seized the survivors such
as comes upon human warriors-an 'un-
utterable, Understanding fear. and,
thoroughly defeated in their object.
whatever II might have been, for days
after hostilities ceased any unusual
noise near their dwellings would send
each Individual hurriedly TO shelter as
IL an avenger were at its heels.
The evidences of war having been
removed from the battle held the
stunted lilac once more lowered above
homes In which thrift and courage
went far to redeem the losses and
promised a future over which no gloom
could cast a shadow.