128 NATURAL HISTORY. [CH. VII. 



described ; it is actually found to be a slave-dealer, 

 attacking the nests of other species, stealing their 

 young, rearing them, and thus, by shifting all the 

 domestic duties of their republic on strangers, escap- 

 ing from labour themselves. This curious fact, first 

 discovered by Huber, has been confirmed by Latre- 

 ille, and is admitted by all naturalists. The slave 

 is distinguished from its master by being of a dark 

 ash-colour, so as to be entitled to the name of Negro, 

 — an epithet now appropriated to the Formica fusca, 

 or ash-coloured ants. Their masters are light in 

 colour. The negro is an industrious, peaceable, 

 stingless insect ; the legionary, a courageous, armed, 

 and lazy one. The relation between them is not, 

 however, that which subsists between a task-master 

 and his bondsman, but a strong attachment is mutu- 

 ally felt — another instance of the modification of 

 instinct, education obliterating in the ash-coloured 

 ant all its natural antipathy to another species. All 

 that we know concerning these extraordinary crea- 

 tures being derived from Mr. P. Huber, the follow- 

 ing is a short summary of his account. 



While walking near Geneva, between four and 

 five in the evening of the 17th of June, 1804, this 

 distinguished naturalist observed an army of the 

 rufescent or legionary ants traversing the road. 

 The column occupied a space of ten inches in length, 

 by four in breadth; they rapidly quitted the road, 

 passed a thick hedge, entered a pasture-ground, 

 wound through the grass without breaking the line 

 of march, and approached a nest inhabited by the 

 negro or ash-coloured ant. Some of its inhabitants 

 were guarding the entrance, but on the discovery 

 of an approaching army, they darted forth on the 

 advancing party. The alarm was communicated 

 to the interior, Avhence their companions rushed in 

 numbers to join in the defence of their underground 

 residence. The bulk of the army of the legionaries 

 being about two paces off, now quickened their 



