184 A BOOK OF INSECTS 



into his skin, and with the purchase thus obtained, doubling 

 in its tail, and stinging with all its might. There is no 

 course left but to run for it. . . . The errand of the vast 

 ant-armies is plunder. . . . Wherever they move, the whole 

 animal world is set in commotion, and every creature tries 

 to get out of their way. But it is especially the various 

 tribes of wingless Arthropods that have cause to fear, such 

 as heavy-bodied spiders, ants of other species, maggots, 

 caterpillars, larva? of cockroaches and so forth, all of which 

 live under fallen leaves, or in decaying wood. The Ecitons 

 do not mount very high on trees, and therefore the nest- 

 lings of birds are not much incommoded by them. The 

 mode of operation of these armies, which I ascertained 

 only after long-continued observation, is as follows. The 

 main column, from four to six deep, moves forward in a 

 given direction, clearing the ground of all animal matter 

 dead or alive, and throwing off here and there a thinner 

 column to forage for a short time on the flanks of the 

 main army, and re-enter it again after their task is ac- 

 complished. If some very rich place be encountered any- 

 where near the line of march, for example, a mass of 

 rotten wood abounding in insect larva?, a delay takes 

 place, and a very strong force of ants is concentrated 

 upon it. The excited creatures search every cranny and 

 tear in pieces all the large grubs they drag to light. It is 

 curious to see them attack wasps' nests, which are some- 

 times built on low shrubs. They gnaw away the papery 

 covering to get at the larva?, pupa?, and newly-hatched 

 wasps, and cut everything to tatters, regardless of the 

 infuriated owners which are flying about them." 



The notorious driver ants (Anomma) of Africa resemble 

 the foraging ants in their habits, but do most of their 

 hunting at night. Like the Ecitons, they attack every 

 living creature that they encounter, and consume all dead 



