WARS OF ANTS. 187 
part of its mouth, and inundated it with 
venom. It sometimes quitted its anta- 
gonist with great quickness; more fre- 
quently, however, the Herculean Ant 
held between its feet its audacious 
enemy. The two champions then rolled 
themselves in the dust and struggled 
violently. The advantage was at first in 
favour of the largest ant; but its adversary 
was soon assisted by those of its own 
party, who collected around the Hercu- 
lean Antandinflicted several deep wounds 
with their teeth. The Herculean Ant 
yielded to numbers; it either perished 
the victim of its temerity, or was con- 
ducted a prisoger to the enemy’s camp. * 
* I retained in close captivity in the same box, 
nearly a month, about an equal number of Red and 
Yellow Ants. It would seem that a general feeling 
of compassion for their unfortunate imprisonment 
had given birth to a suspension of hostilities, and 
that rankling animosity had been exchanged for 
good-will and social order. During this period I 
seldom witnessed any affray on the exterior-of the 
nest, and on breaking it up, the interior gave me 
no room to suppose it had been the scene of much 
contention; but scarcely were they liberated, 
