PERFECT SOCIETIES OF INSECTS. 77 



abroad earlier, they are detained by their staves, who will 

 not suffer them to proceed. A wonderful provision of 

 the Creator to prevent the black colonies from being pil- 

 laged when they contain only male and female brood, 

 which would be their total destruction, without being any 

 benefit to their assailants, to whom neuters alone are 

 useful. 



Their time of sallying forth is from two in the afternoon 

 till five, but more generally a little before five : the wea- 

 ther, however, must be fine, and the thermometer must 

 stand at above 36 in the shade. Previously to marching 

 there is reason to think that they send out scouts to ex- 

 plore the vicinity ; upon whose return they emerge from 

 their subterranean city, directing their course to the quar- 

 ter from which the scouts came. They have various pre- 

 paratory signals, such as pushing each other with the man- ' 

 dibles or forehead, or playing with the antennae, the ob- 

 ject of which is probably to excite their martial ardour, 

 to give the word for marching, or to indicate the route 

 they are to take. The advanced guard usually consists 

 of eight or ten ants ; but no sooner do these get beyond 

 the rest, than they move back, wheeling round in a 

 semicircle, and mixing with the main body, while others 

 succeed to their station. They have " no captain, over- 

 seer, or ruler" as Solomon observes, their army being 

 composed entirely* of neuters, without a single female : 

 thus all in their turns take their place at the head, and 

 then retreating towards the rear, make room for others. 

 This is the usual order of their march ; and the object 

 of it may be to communicate intelligence more readily 

 from one part of the column to another. 



When winding through the grass of a meadow they 



