328 PERFECT SOCIETIES OF INSECTS. 



equal, they remain immoveable till the arrival of a third gives one the ad- 

 vantage. Both, however, are often succoured at the same time, and the 

 battle still continues undecided ; others take part on each side, till chains 

 are formed of six, eii'ht, or sometimes ten, all hooked together, and strug- 

 gling pertinaciously for the mastery ; the equilibrium remains unbroken, 

 till a number of champions from the same nest arriving at once compel 

 them to let go their hold, and the single combats recommence. At the 

 approach of night, each party gradually retreats to its own city ; but before 

 the following dawn the combat is renewed with redoubled fury, and occu- 

 pies a greater extent of ground. These daily fights continue till violent 

 rains separating the combatants, they forget their quarrel, and peace is 

 restored. 



Such is the account given by M. Huber of a battle he witnessed. In 

 these engagements, he observes, their fury is so wrought up, that nothing 

 can divert them from their purpose. Though he was close to them exa- 

 mining their proceedings, they paid not the least attention to him, being 

 absorbed by one sole object, that of finding an enemy to attack. What is 

 most wonderful in this history, — though all are of the same make, colour, 

 and scent, evfery ant seemed to know those of his own party ; and if by 

 mistake one was attacked, it was immediately discovered by the assailant, 

 and caresses succeeded to blows. Though all was fury and carnage in the 

 space between the two nests, on the other side the paths were full of ants 

 going to and fro on the ordinary business of the society, as in a time of 

 peace ; and the whole formicary exhibited an appearance of order and 

 tranquillity, except that on the quarter leading to the field of battle crowds 

 might always be seen, either marching to reinforce the army of their 

 compatriots, or returning home with the prisoners they had taken ^, which 

 it is to be feared, are the devoted victims of a cannibal feast. 



Having, I apprehend, satiated you with the fury and carnage of Myrmi- 

 donian wars, I shall next bring forward a scene still more astonishing, which 

 at first, perhaps, you will be disposed to regard as a mere illusion of a lively 

 imagination. What will you say when I tell you that certain ants are af- 

 firmed to sally forth from their nests on predatory expeditions, for the 

 singular purpose of procuring slaves to employ in their domestic business ; 

 and that these ants are usually a ruddy race, while their slaves themselves 

 are black ? I think I see you here throw down my letter and exclaim — 

 " W^hat ! ants made slave-dealers ! This is a fact so extraordinary and 

 improbable, and so out of the usual course of nature, that nothing but the 

 most powerful and convincing evidence shall induce me to believe it." In 

 this I perfectly approve your caution ; such a solecism in nature ought not 

 to be believed till it has undergone the ordeal of a most thorough investi- 

 gation. Unfortunately in this country we have not the means of satisfying 

 ourselves by ocular demonstration, since none of the slave-dealing aftts 

 appear to be natives of Britain. We must be satisfied, therefore, with 

 weighing the evidence of others. Hear what M. P. Huber, the discoverer 

 of this almost incredible deviation of nature from her general laws, has 

 advanced to convince the world of the accuracy of his statement; and you 

 will, I am sure, allow that he has thrown over his history a colouring of 

 verisimilitude, and that his appeal to testimony is in a very high degree 

 satisfactory. 



1 See Huber, chap. v. 



