338 INSECT MISCELLANIES. 



walls, and the warriors ceased to frequent the road 

 which led to the camp of the enemy. '* 



It may surprise some of our readers, that among 

 ants ' the battle is not to the strong,' for those of 

 larger size seem as much if not more afraid to en- 

 counter the smaller than those apparently more 

 powerful than themselves. Any of our readers, who 

 have the curiosity, may verify this by throwing a 

 parcel of small ants, with their eggs, larvse, or pupae, 

 into the nest of a larger species, when the giants 

 will be seen every where retreating before the pig- 

 mies. A small black species [Myrmica ?), 



little more than a line in length, of which we have 

 thrown two or three dozen into a hill of the miner 

 {Formica cunicularia), which is nearly three times 

 the size, put to flight every one that attempted to 

 carry their property into the underground apart- 

 ments, though the miners had the advantage of being 

 at home. The cause of the superiority of the smaller 

 is their dexterity in seizing the others by the antennae 

 or the legs, and their obstinacy in retaining their 

 hold, even should they be pulled to pieces. These 

 small ones, also, like the red and the turf-ants, had 

 the advantage of a sting, of which the miners were 

 destitute; but we seldom observed them use it, 

 seeming to trust more to their mandibles. "f Huber 

 says, ' when the large attack the small, they appear 

 to do it by surprise, most likely to prevent the latter 

 from fastening on their legs: they seize them in the 

 upper part of the body, and strangle them imme- 

 diately between their pincers. But when the small 

 ants have time to guard against an attack, they in- 

 timate to their companions the danger with which 

 they are threatened, when the latter arrive in crowds 

 to their assistance.' It does not, however, agree 

 with anything which we have observed in these com- 



* On Ants, p 194. t J- R- 



