28 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1887. 



seen issuing from the gate and others Avere hovering around it. 

 At this moment one of the Sanguine army, in the spirit of a 

 pioneer or scout, approached this point. Thereupon the blacks 

 climbed up adjacent spears of grass, where they remained 

 apparently on guard. After about ten minutes spent in the 

 exploration which has been desci'ibed, the reds began to drain 

 off from the centre of search towards their home. In the mean- 

 time a considei-able number of the Fuscas, who had evidently 

 been out upon foraging expeditions and were homeward bound 

 for the liight, discovering the crowd of enemies who surrounded 

 their borders, had discreetly taken refuge like their associates on 

 the tufts of grass everywhere around the margin of the space 

 within which the Sanguines had been operating. 



Two of these blacks, more courageous or cunning than their 

 associates. Dr. McCook observed to slip into a little opening and 

 disappear inside. They were presently followed by several 

 Sanguines, who, however, shortly returned from within and pro- 

 ceeded with their surface explorations, apparently having found 

 no clew to the main formicary. The blacks, however, had cer- 

 tainly safely entered their home. He greatly wondered at this, 

 and regarded it as an evidence of remarkable cunning and skill 

 in strategy on the part of the Fuscas, which had enabled them 

 thus so rapidly and easily to close the opening to their nest and 

 throw the invaders off the scent. 



An hour after flie commencement of the raid not more than 

 half a dozen of the Sanguines remained upon the scene, the rest 

 of their company having abandoned the search for this time at 

 least. This corporal's guard of persistent scouts also gave up 

 the search at last and marched back home, the secretive skill of 

 the blacks having thus far prevailed for the protection of their 

 colony. 



The interesting fact in the history of these curious creatures 

 to which Dr. McCook wished to call especial attention is, that their 

 instinct for kidnapping has appeared to develojje on the part of 

 those who are the victims of it a corresponding strengthening of 

 instinct in the way of concealment. The Fuscous ants are ready 

 enough to defend their homes with their lives and often do it 

 successfully when their numbers are great enough to overcome 

 the superior physical }:)Ower and warlike skill of their enemies. 

 But the weaker colonies of Fuscas must always yield to the 

 prowess and strength of the Sanguines, unless their cunning can 

 put their invaders at a disadvantage. 



The case just mentioned does not stand alone. At various 

 times when the speaker had observed these black ants in such 

 site that they are exposed to the attacks of the Sanguines, he 

 had noticed that their nests were constructed very differently 

 from those of colonies in neighborhoods not infested by Sanguines. 

 In the latter positions it is the habit of the Fuscas to raise above 

 the surface of the ground a flattened moundlet, or sometimes a 



