WARS OF ANTS. 191 
they shortly after raised themselves, when 
each began dragging its adversary; but 
when their force was equal, the wrestlers 
remained immoveable, and fixed each 
other to the ground, until a third came 
to decide the contest. It more com- 
monly happened that both ants received 
assistance at the same time, when the 
whole four, keeping firm hold of a foot 
or antenna, made ineffectual attempts 
to gain the battle. Some ants joined the 
latter, and these were, in their turn, 
seized by new arrivals. It was in this 
way they formed chains of six, eight, or 
ten ants, all firmly locked together ; the 
equilibrium was only broken when seve- 
ral warriors, from the same republic 
advanced at the same time, who com- 
pelled those that were enchained to let 
go their hold, when the single combats 
again took place. On the approach of 
night each party returned gradually to 
the city, which served it for an asylum. 
The ants, which were either killed or 
led away in captivity, not being replaced 
