The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-10-24
THURSDAY, OCTOBER "a, 1901.
BLACK AND RED ANTS
TWO COLONIES IN A FIERCE BATTLE
TO THE DEATH.


Human Warfare ParaIleled In This
Conflict Between the Vicious In
sects-Three Days Fighting Before
Victory Came to the Reds.
Was it the attempted application of
the doctrine of territorial expansion?
Was it case of forcing higher or
der 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 a 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 deter
mined what were the causes underly-
ing a struggle of three days duration,
marked by carnage, feats of strength
and deeds of valor such as are rarely
the lot of the historian to record.
was sitting one summer afternoon
in the shadow of my cottage near
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, 1 soon perceived, was the
foot of the lilac, the ground around
which had been honeycombed by little
red ants less than 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 per-
haps three feet square, but here among
the hillocks and ravines in miniature
all the tragedies and triumphs of war
were enacted.
There were at first arrangement and
order when van met van, but the con-
fict soon resolved itself into a general
catch as catch can encounter. Woe to
the red ant luckless enough to get into
the jaws of it's larger foe! One closing
up of those powerful instruments, and
a 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 it's antagonists it was
itself doomed. The duration of 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 men,
bers of the Red Cross corps hurried
from one mangled body to anoth
Sometimes a feeble response on the
part of the wounded soldier to the anx-
ious inquiry of the relief was no.
ticeable. The solictous 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, antenna
missing, head severed from the body
the body itself sectioned. Here and
there one MORALLY wounded dragged
itself slowly and painfully to some OBJ
scure spot to die. Others were helped
away to place Of security, but in such
condition that it 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
10 tot
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 l 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. !
Valor, 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, unreasoning fear-and, thor
oughly defeated in their object, what
ever 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 its heels.-Scientific !
American.
Pigeons Wreaked Vengeance.
A remarkable story of the venpeanca