THE AMAZON ANTS. 253 
observed the Amazon army take, in the 
hope of acquiring some knowledge of the 
phenomenon of which I had been a 
witness, when I discovered the habitation 
of one of these martial hordes. 
I observed on the right of the road a 
large ant-hill, covered with ants of that 
species. They formed into column, set 
forth in a body, and fell upon one of the 
habitations of the Ash-coloured Ants, in 
which, experiencing little or no opposi- 
tion, they entered. One party immedi- 
ately returned, bearing in their pincers 
the purloined larve ; another party, less 
fortunate, quitted the scene of attack, 
without reaping any advantage from 
their expedition : —the former took the 
road to their own citadel; the latter 
marched in a body upon a second ant- 
hill, tenanted by the same species as the 
first, where they made ample booty. The 
whole army, now forming two divisions, 
hastened to the spot from which it had 
taken its departure. I reached the 
garrison a little before them ; but what 
