35 o THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



speak, mainly on sufferance, playing no appreciable part in the econ- 

 omy of the globe. Turning from this hypothetical survey of the ant 

 as an individual, unorganized being to its actual condition, we see the 

 most striking contrast. Mr. Belt gives the following graphic account 

 of the excitement caused by a marching column of Ecitons in the 

 primeval forests of Nicaragua: "My attention was generally first 

 called to them by the twittering of some small birds belonging to 

 different species. On approaching, a dense body of the ants, three or 

 four yards wide, and so numerous as to blacken the ground, would be 

 seen moving rapidly in one direction, examining every cranny and 

 underneath every fallen leaf. On the flanks, and in advance of the 

 main body, smaller columns would be pushed out. These smaller 

 columns would generally first flush the cockroaches, grasshoppers, and 

 spiders. The pursued insects would rapidly make off, but many, in 

 their confusion and terror, w r ould bound right into the midst of the 

 main body of ants. At first, the grasshopper, when it found itself in 

 the midst of its enemies, would give vigorous leaps, with perhaps two 

 or three of the ants clinging to its legs. Then it would stop a mo- 

 ment to rest, and that moment would be fatal, for the tiny foes would 

 swarm over the prey, and, after a few more ineffectual struggles, it 

 would succumb to its fate, and soon be bitten to pieces and carried 

 off to the rear. The greatest catch of the ants was, however, when 

 they got among some fallen brushwood. The cockroaches, spiders, 

 and other insects, instead of running right away, w r ould ascend the 

 fallen branches and remain there, while the host of ants were occu- 

 pying all the ground beneath. By-and-by, up would come some of 

 the ants, following every branch, and driving before them their prey 

 to the ends of the small twigs, where nothing remained for them but 

 to leap, and they would alight in the very throng of their foes, with 

 the result of being certainly caught and pulled to pieces. 



"The moving columns of Ecitons are composed almost entirely of 

 workers of different sizes, but, at intervals of tw T o or three yards, 

 there are larger and lighter-colored individuals that often stop and 

 sometimes run a little backward, stopping and touching some of the 

 ants with their antenna 1 . They look like officers giving orders and 

 directing the march of the column. 



"The ants send off exploring-parties up the trees, which hunt for 

 nests of wasps, bees, and probably birds. If they find any, they soon 

 communicate the intelligence to the army below, and a column is sent 

 up immediately to take possession of the prize. I have seen them 

 pulling out the larvae and pupae from the cells of a large wasps' nest, 

 while the wasps hovered about, powerless, before the multitude of 

 the invaders, to render any protection to their young." 



Still more formidable are the " driver-ants " of tropical Africa, so 

 called because, on their approach, even the lion, the elephant, and the 

 huge python, at once betake themselves to flight. 



