ANT EXPEDITIONS TO CAPTURE SLAVES. 345 



had to undertake a siege in regular form, for the 

 negroes, as if conscious of their own weakness, lost 

 no time in throwing up trenches, barricading the 

 several entrances, and reinforcing the guard of the 

 interior, in order to provide for future safety. With 

 the same view, they had brought together all the little 

 pieces of wood and earth within reach, with which 

 they had blocked up the passage to their encampment. 

 Upon discovering these defensive preparations, the 

 legionaries at first hesitated to approach, but rambled 

 about or returned to the rear till sufficiently reinforced ; 

 but at length, upon a signal given, they rushed forward 

 in a body with great impetuosity, and began to de- 

 molish the barricades with their mandibles and their 

 feet. When they had thus made a sufficient breach, 

 they entered into the interior by hundreds, in spite of 

 the resistance of the poor negroes, and carried off their 

 remaining property. ' I was witness,' says Huber, 

 ' every day during summer to these invasions. '* 



The negro-ants are most commonly the victims of 

 these hostile excursions, probably in consequence of 

 their pacific and docile disposition ; but in more than 

 one instance Huber observed successful attacks made 

 upon the more warlike and powerful communities of 

 the mining ant {Formica cunicularia) , a British 

 species, though not abundant, and nearly resembling 

 the wood-ant {F. rufa) in colour, though about a 

 fourth less in size. It is interesting to remark, that 

 though the result of a victory is precisely similar to 

 the case already detailed, the legionaries are obliged 

 to employ a different mode of warfare, as we shall 

 see from Huber's narrative. 



' Between four and five in the evening,' he says, 

 ^ a time when the army usually commences its 

 march, the legionaries were already assembled on 



* Huber on Ants, p. 263. 



