186 WARS OF ANTS. 
point of number; they, however, acted 
on the defensive. The earth, strewed 
with the dead bodies of their compatriots, 
bore witness they had suffered the greatest 
carnage: they, therefore, took the pru- 
dent part cf fixing their habitation else- 
where, and with great activity trans- 
ported to a distance of fifty feet from the 
spot, their companions, and the several 
objects that interested them. Small de- 
tachments of the workers were posted at 
little distances from the nest, apparently 
placed there to cover the march of the 
recruits and to preserve the city itself 
from any sudden attack. They struck 
against each other when they met, and 
had always their mandibles separated in 
the attitude of defiance. As soon as the 
Herculean Ants approached their camp, 
the centinels in front assailed them with 
fury; they fought at first in single com- 
bat. The Sanguine Ant threw himself 
upon the Herculean Ant, fastened upon 
its head, turned its abdomen against the 
- chest of its adversary or against the lower 
