The Washington times., 1908-07-19
BATTLE Of ANTS
A MIMIC WARE ARE
Little Creatures Waged Con
Hict With All the Fierce
ness of Human Beings.

7 witnessed the other day." says a
suburbanite. zone OF the most desper-
ate conflicts ever waged on this con
tinent TWO armies were engaged, but
the hgnting was done. not by regiments
or battaiions. but in the old-fashioned
hand-to-hand way. each combatant Sc
lectins his own antagonist, so that the
battle resolved itself into a series Of
individual fights. which were TO the
death.
The warriors were ants, and the bat
tie was fought on a pavement just be-
meath my window. I noticed a commo-
ton on the bricks toward O'Clock in
the afternoon, and saw there was a
mighty hurly-buriy among the ants but
Tor time paid little attention, sup
posing they were merely more excited
than usual, perhaps cleaning house. o.
hoioing a convention, but the fuss kept
up 30 long and the ants stayed IN the
same place so steadily that my curl
osity was reused and I went out 70
investigate. There We're hundreds OF
ants engaged; part were large black
ants, but the great majority were Of
the small red variety that housekeep-
ers IND such a nuisance in their closets
and cupbOa-ds.
Figh ing With Ferocity.
Though outnUmbered FIVE or ten 70
one, she black ants made up in fe-
rocity what they lacked in numerous
ness 4 big black fellow would rush
into the crowd. seize a red ant and
bite him in two; another and a third
would meet the fate Of the first Then
the little ants, apparently understand
ing that something must be done at
once, would rush 10 the rescue, and
eight or tels. without the slightest hest
tation, would attack the big ant from
every side One black warrior was so
covered with his red enemies that only
here and there could a tiny SPOT Of his
shining drmcr be seen The reds were
busy. too. he could not shake them of.
ana though ne bit at them, they I'M
deIs l9OQ that they had him At a dis
advantage, and for every one he killed
there were two 10 take the place Of
the fallen Re rolled over and over in
agony, cut there was no help Tor him
A moment after his cOuVulsive rolling
Ead taken him and his antagonists out
OF the general eng ageInent enc Of his
legs dropped on and two or three OF
the little reds were so intent on their
work thaI they kept on chewing and
biting the severed limb without MOTTO
Ing. what mad happened, then left Z
and sprdng again 10 the attack d.
rectly another lee fell. then a third.
but the struggles CT the big ant did
had been torn away. Through a glass
noticed a ring Of little reds chewing
at his neck he could not get at them.
but with his last struggle he managei
10 seize q red with his jaw and after mis-
heed eU the terrible pinchers still held
his squirmiug little enemy.
Lew Enemy Eats victors.
Although the engagement covered a
large section OF the pavement, the hot
test part OF the fight was on four
bricks which were literally covered
with wTiggling, twisting ants Re-en-
f0rcements were continually arriving
for both parties. the blacks coming from
bed OF corianders, the reds swarm
ing out Of a strip Of ground next the
house. covered with lilies Of the val
ley Though many came, none ran
AT shutdown the fight was still raging.
but before dark a fat Old toad whose
burrOw "-sS in the lily bed. woke up
and sta -Jed Out 10 forage for supper
His frs "op brought him 10 the edge
Of the battlefield. and he instantly real
lied the situation and started 20 make
the best Cf t. His long timber tongue
worked so fast that I could not see il
move, but / noticed that the ants were
disappearing, and not always toward
their homes. either. but down the thrOa-
of that old toad. In three minutes
the battle was over. all the combat
OF their predecessors into that capa-
cious nav. and the toad. after paUsing
a moment to EObbie up a belated black.
who was CALAMITY huTTying TO the
fray, sat on his launches, closed one
eye. scratched the back of his head
with his hind foot ard hoped of about
Ills business. Exchange