96 TRANSACTIONS OF THE [FEB. 4, 
THE ‘‘ BATTLE OF THE EUTERMES.” 
May 3d, 1888. I have never seen or heard of such a marvel- 
lous exhibition of intelligence and warlike skill as I witnessed 
to-day, after putting together workers and soldiers of two differ- 
ent nests of Hutermes. Their skilland dexterity in despatching 
an enemy are astonishing. 
There was a slight difference in color between the occupants 
of the two nests, which was very favorable for accurate observa- 
tions. And the better to designate the combatants, I shall call 
those of one nest ‘‘ yellows,” and those of the other ‘‘ whites.” 
The yellows had the advantage of being at home, which was 
a block of wood six by six inches and three feet long, and liter- 
ally honeycombed with tunnels or headings containing a numer- 
ous community. At the moment of attack the yellows were 
busily repairing a break in oneof their galleries, ‘‘ trowel in one 
hand and sword in the other,” as it were, when I approached 
with the nest of the whites and dropped a single worker from 
the nest to the yellows’ block, expecting to see it mingle with 
the latter unobserved ; but had I dropped a miniature dynamite 
bomb, I could not have caused more confusion. A soldier (na- 
sutus) of the yellows first discovered the intruder—by scent, I 
think—and rushed to the galleries where the workers were busy, 
and gave the alarm ; instantly a worker of the yellows rushed 
at the intruder with open mandibles, grappled with it, and soon 
laid it on its back motionless and apparently dead. The yel- 
lows were now mustering out in great force, so I jarred my nest 
of the whites over the block, causing hundreds to drop on the 
‘* field of battle”; instantly the workers from the different nests 
rushed at one another with mandibles open. The battle was 
raging fiercely, in a rough-and-tumble manner. I dropped my 
nest, and took out my lens for observation. Ina few moments 
the bodies of the workers of the whites were strewn all over the 
ground. It was very exciting to see them grapple together, and 
then roll over and over, the workers of the yellows being gen- 
erally victorious. I now jarred from the nest of the whites 
another large reinforcement, mostly workers, there being but 
few nasuti soldiers in the nest. The yellows had many soldiers, 
which were rushing around, directing and urging the workers 
of the yellows to battle. 
I was astonished how quickly they killed each other, but after 
a little closer observation I discovered the trick; the workers of 
the whites which I thought were dead were still alive, but 
hors de combat,—dismembered, in other words,—their feet or 
legs, and antenne bitten off. 
In all probability this was their first pitched battle, yet they 
fought like skilled warriors. 
