MILITARY ANTS. 117 



rades to lift out the bodies of tlie Formicae, and others tearing 

 them in pieces, on account of their weight being too great for a 

 single Eciton ; a numbei of carriers seizing each a fragment, 

 and carrying it off down the slope. 



These Ecitons have no fixed nest themselves, but live, 

 as it were, on a perpetual campaign. At night, however, 

 they call a halt and pitch a camp. For this purpose they 

 usually select a piece of broken ground, in the interstices 

 of which they temporarily store their plunder. In the 

 morning the army is again on the march, and before an 

 hour or two has passed not a single ant is to be seen 

 where the countless multitudes had previously covered 

 the ground. 



Another and larger species of Eciton (E. humata) 

 hunts sometimes in dense armies, and sometimes in 

 columns, according to the kind of prey of which they are 

 in search. When in columns they are seeking for the 

 nests of a certain species of ant which have their young 

 in holes of rotten logs. These Ecitons when seeking for 

 these nests hunt about, like those just described, in 

 columns, which branch off in various directions. When a 

 fallen log is reached, the column spreads over it, search- 

 ing through all the holes and cracks. Mr. Belt says of 

 them : 



The workers are of various sizes, and the smallest are here 

 of use, for they squeeze themselves into the narrowest holes, 

 and search out their prey in the furthest ramifications of the 

 nests. When a nest of the Hypoclinea is attacked, the ants 

 rush out, carrying the larvae and pupae in their jaws, but are 

 immediately despoiled of them by the Ecitons, which are run- 

 ning about in every direction with great swiftness. Whenever 

 they come across a Hypodinea carrying a larva or pupa, they 

 take it from it so quickly, that I could never ascertain exactly 

 how it was done. 



As soon as an Eciton gets hold of its prey, it rushes off back 

 along the advancing column, which is composed of two sets, 

 one hurrying forward, the other returning laden with their 

 booty, but all and always in the greatest haste and apparent 

 hurrv. About the nest which they are harrying, all appears in 

 confusion, Ecitons running here and there and everywhere in 

 the greatest haste and disorder ; but the result of all this ap- 



