Ch. VII.] GIGANTIC AXIS. 115 



of the species were taken within a radius of four miles, 

 having on one side the savannahs near Pital, on the 

 other the ranges around Santo Domingo. Some run 

 and fly only in the daytime, others towards evening and 

 in the short twilight ; but the great majority issue from 

 their hiding-places only in the night-time, and during 

 the day lie concealed in withered leaves, beneath fallen 

 logs, under bark, and in crevices amongst the moss grow- 

 ing on the trunks of trees, or even against the bare 

 trunk, protected from observation by their mottled brown, 

 grey, and greenish tints assimilating in colour and ap- 

 pearance to the bark of the tree. Up and down the 

 fallen timber would swiftly stalk gigantic black ants, one 

 inch in length, provided with most formidable stings, and 

 disdaining to run away from danger. They are slow and 

 stately in their movements, seeming to prey solely on the 

 slow-moving wood-borers, which they take at a great 

 disadvantage when half buried in their burrows, and bear 

 off in their great jaws. They appear to use their sting 

 only as a defensive weapon ; but other smaller species 

 that hunt singly, and are very agile, use their stings to 

 paralyse their prey. I once saw one of these on the banks 

 of the Artigua chasing a wood-louse (Oniscus), very like 

 our common English species, on a nearly perpendicular 

 slope. The wood-louse, when the ant got near it, made 

 convulsive springs, throwing itself down the slope, whilst 

 the ant followed, coursing from side to side, and examin- 

 ing the ground with its vibrating antennae. The actions 

 of the wood-louse resembled that of the hunted hare 

 trying to throw the dog off its scent, and the ant was like 

 the dog in its movements to recover the trail. At last 



the wood-louse reached the bottom of the slope, and 



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