ANT COMMUNITIES 



But in most cases no sufficient reason appeared for 

 the frequent wars between the pavement ants. They 

 are of one species, and in some cases, as it seemed to me, 

 of one commune. Why should they fight? To be sure, 

 civil wars are, unhappily, not unnatural to human 

 societies, and indeed to social aggregations of humbler 

 creatures. But somehow one expects better things of 

 ants, even though their "ways'' may not be held as 

 "wise' ; in all things as those of Solomon's harvesters. 

 Yet almost the first act of our city Tetramoriums, upon 

 issuing from their winter quarters, is to engage in fierce 

 war with their neighbors or fellow-formicarians. At 

 times throughout the season these hostilities were re- 

 newed. 



If, as we conjecture, the individuals be of one nest, is 

 this nature's mode of distributing the species from the 

 home centre, by causing the worsted party to emigrate? 

 Or, supposing the combatants to be of separate ad- 

 joining communities, is this wasting pugnacity a sort 

 of emmetonian malthusianism by which the surplus 

 population is reduced and kept within due bounds, much 

 to the comfort of survivors, and more to the satisfaction 

 of man? Whatever theory or conjecture one adopts, 

 he is apt to conclude that it is well-nigh as hard to find 

 a really good reason for wars of ants as for many wars 

 of man. 



Another perplexing problem here arises: How do 

 these ant warriors recognize friend from foe? The 

 device of variant uniforms does not serve in this case, 

 for they are all alike. Take a group of combatants in 

 the hand and put them under a magnifier, as one can 

 readily do, so intent are they upon mutual destruction. 

 The most careful observer can note no difference be- 



220 



