432 INSECTS ABBOAD. 



all the dead were taken up; a Dumber of, I should think, two 

 hundred bringing up the rear. 



"Following the train, 1 found that the two empty-handed 



followers relieved their fellows in advance, the latter following 

 behind in the place of those who relieved them, and thus con- 

 tinuing to alternate from time to time. They had now gone a 

 considerable distance towards the seaside, when they stopped at 

 a sandy hillock, where those who marched in the rear of the 

 procession commenced operations by making holes ; but T soon 

 observed that only about half the number took part in this 

 employment. 



" When a sufficient number of graves had been dug, the dead 

 bodies were laid in them, and I found that those Ants which 

 had hitherto stood idle were deputed to cover them in. About 

 six would not stir from their places, and on these the others fell 

 and killed them, whereupon they made a single large pit at a 

 distance from the other graves, into which all the six were put 

 and duly covered up. The Ants then all paired off, and marched 

 back to the scene of slaughter, where they remained together for 

 a few minutes, when each company left for their own habitation. 



•'The observation of this curious proceeding gave me great 

 pleasure, and I had frequent opportunities afterwards of seeing 

 the insects act much in the same way. If one of the workers, 

 however (who are much smaller than the rest), were killed, it 

 was buried where it fell, and no friends attended the funeral." 



The almost human aspects of Ant life are well known bo 

 entomologists. We have seen the rules of single combat strictly 

 observed, and the still more remarkable fact that Ants bury 

 the bodies of their comrades and attend the funeral. Another 

 phase of humanity is to be found among those most remarkable 

 insects, — namely, the power of utilizing other Ants to do their 

 work for them; in fact, keeping domestic servants. And, as 

 is the case with primitive civilization, these servants are slaves, 

 yet are happy and devoted to the masters who stole them 

 from their own homes. Not that they ever saw the home which 

 was theirs by rights, for they are captured while still in the 

 pupal state, and therefore know no other home than that of 

 their masters. 



The latter insects depend entirely on the slaves, and are 



