22 ABOUT ANTS. 



But those who are accustomed to the country 

 are careful to keep out of the way. If a man 

 should happen to cross the column, the ants at 

 once dash at him, climb up his legs, and bite 

 with their powerful and poisonous jaws. His 

 only safety is in running away until the main 

 army is too far off to renew the attack, and 

 then destroying those which he has brought with 

 him. This is not easy, for the Ants have long, 

 hooked jaws, and bite so fiercely that they may 

 be pulled away piecemeal, leaving the jaws in 

 the wound to be picked out separately. 



Another species, E. joroedator, marches in 

 broad, solid mass. It is a little creature, like 

 our common red ant, but much brighter col- 

 ored, making the trunk of a tree upon which 

 many climb look as if smeared with a blood-red 

 liquid. 



This little red ant is exceedingly venomous : 

 its bite brings a quenchless, burning sensa- 

 tion, whence the Brazilians call it *'fire ant." 

 The South American Indians require their 

 young men to undergo the ordeal of the Tocan 



