122 WILD LIFE UNDER THE EQUATOR. 
When on the march the insect world flees before them, 
and, as you have seen in the beginning of the chapter, I 
had the approach of a bashikouay army heralded to me 
by this means. Wherever they go they make a clean 
sweep, even ascending to the top of many small trees in 
search of birds’-nests, and to devour the young of caterpil- 
lars. They pursue their poor prey with an unrelenting 
fury, and seem to be animated with the genius of de- 
struction. Their manner of attack is by an impetuous 
leap. Instantly the strong pincers are fastened, and they 
only let go when the piece seized upon gives way. If 
they were large they would certainly be the most fear- 
ful creature man could ever encounter, and they would 
destroy all the living creatures of the forest. 
When on their line of march they often find little 
streams—which of course are not very wide; they throw 
themselves across and form a bridge, a living bridge, 
connected by two trees or high bushes on opposite sides 
of the stream. This is done with great care, and is ef- 
fected by a great number of ants, each of which clings 
with his fore-claws to his next neighbor’s body or hind- 
claws. Thus they form a high, safe bridge, over which 
the whole vast regiment marches in regular order. If 
disturbed, or if the bridge is broken by the violence of 
some animal, they instantly attack the offender with the 
greatest animosity. 
To find the place for these bridges must require a 
good deal of sagacity. By one way or another they find 
a spot where on each side there is a branch of a tree, al- 
most always a dead one, that has fallen on the ground, 
and which overlaps the stream. Often in falling this tree 
has broken in two pieces, and the piece on the other 
