382 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1880. 



appear. Various experiments established the fact that some of 

 . these slave-makers (apparently) always keep on guard, and that 

 certainl}' some are ready to spring at once to repel any attack. 

 For exami)le, one of the slave-making Formica .'^angumea, found 

 in the same neighborhood, was dropped into the Polyergus colony. 

 The hostile presence was instantly discerned and a Lucidus 

 worker sprung upon the Sanguinea and seized her near the throat. 

 Several slaves ran to the fray, and took part by seizing legs and 

 antennae of the intruder. Xot wishing such an unequal conflict, I 

 lifted the principal combatants out, having teased away the others, 

 and set them down to fight it out fairl}-. Lucidus had Sanguinea 

 grasped by the face at the eye with her mandibles when first 

 removed. . This was not satisfactory, for she began cautiously 

 and deftly to release her hold, preparing herself meanwhile, so 

 that with a quick snap she seized her foe by the neck, then turned 

 up the abdomen, and, as I suppose, ejected poison upon the face 

 and mouth of Sanguinea. I separated the two before either had 

 been mortally hurt. However, Lucidus had lost the flagellum 

 of one antenna. I put lier back into her nest. The battle-scarred 

 warrior had no sooner struck the soil which she had so gallantl}' 

 defended, than she was violentl}^ seized by a slave, and dragged 

 up and down by her sound antenna, the poor jointless scape mean- 

 while thrust out and waving piteously. The late exalted mien 

 and ferocious aspect^ were now gone, and the warrior cringed her 

 body and drooped her limbs like — it is no mere fancy word-painting 

 this — a sullen criminal in the hands of a policeman. The two 

 disappeared from my sight in the mouth of a gallery ; but half an 

 hour afterward I saw the same warrior, whom I recognized b}^ the 

 mutilated antenna, in the clutch of one of her scarlet fellow- 

 soldiers, who was mounted upon her back and holding her by the 

 neck. 



I am happy to record that two days thereafter I saw the 

 same veteran, evidently again in " good odor," perambulating the 

 surface of the formicary. It is probable that in the battle her 

 body had been tainted by some odor peculiar to her adversary, 

 which had made her obnoxious. It may be, indeed, that the loss 

 of the upper part of the antenna may have impaired recognition, 

 and so caused this hostile treatment. At all events I could not 

 but wonder whether any thought went through the little ci-eature's 

 brain analogous to our meditations upon the ingratitude of Repub- 



