198 WARS OF ANTS. 
their industry and character present; it 
is at least highly probable, but I will not 
positively affirm it. I visited, one day, 
one of their ant-hills, exposed to the sun 
and sheltered from the north; the ants 
were heaped one upon another in great 
numbers, and appeared to enjoy the tem- 
perature on the surface of the nest. None 
of them were at work. This immense 
multitude of insects presented the appear- 
ance of a liquid in the state of ebullition, 
upon which the eye had some difficulty 
in resting; but when I examined the 
conduct of each ant, I saw them approach 
each other, moving their antenne with 
astonishing rapidity. With slight move- 
ments of their fore-feet they patted the 
lateral parts of the head of the other ants. 
After these first gestures, which resembled 
caresses, they were observed to raise 
themselves upon their hind-legs by pairs, 
struggle together, seize each other by a 
mandible, foot, or antenna, and then 
immediately relax their hold to re-com- 
mence the attack. ‘They fastened on 
