THE AMAZON ANTS. 257 
tight and left without advancing ; the 
army forms anew, and again moves for- 
ward with rapidity. There is no com- 
mander-in-chief, every ant is in turn 
first, each seeking to be foremost; some, 
however, move in a different direction, 
pass from the front to the rear, then 
retrace their steps and follow the general 
movement. There are always a small 
number constantly returning to the rear, 
and it is probably in this way the move- 
ment of the whole army is governed. 
At a little more than thirty feet from 
their own residence, they stop and ex- 
plore the ground with their antenne, 
much in the same way as dogs when 
searching for game. They soon find a 
subterranean Negro ant-hill, to the bot- 
tom of which its inhabitants have retired. 
The Legionary Ants, unopposed, pene- 
trate an open gallery; the whole army 
enter, seize upon the pups, and return 
through the several apertures, immedi- 
ately taking the road to their garrison. 
It is now no longer an army disposed in 
