ANTS 305 



7. Sometimes more than one species of ant is found Slavery 

 in a given nest. When this is the case, the association 

 may be one of essential equality, or it may be that one 

 species has been captured by and works for another. 

 The red ant known as Formica sanguined (sanguinea, 

 bloody) raids the nests of black ants of the Formica 

 fusca group, and after a battle, carries away the larvae 

 and pupae. The ants developing from these in the 

 sanguinea nest live and work there along with their 

 masters, and the effect of the raid is to increase the 

 working population. Formica sanguinea has lost none 

 of the instincts and powers of ordinary ants ; it can 

 live without slaves, although it rarely does so. An- 

 other sort of red ant, known as Polyergus, is in a very 

 different position. It cannot exist without slaves, for 

 although it is a great fighter, it cannot procure its own 

 food. The large and remarkable mandibles are fitted 

 for fighting and seizing other ants, but are wholly un- 

 suited for any domestic purposes. There are many 

 other ants, exhibiting various kinds and degrees of 

 association, social parasitism, and slavery. Wheeler, 

 reflecting on all these phenomena, is led to remark : 

 "He who without prejudice studies the history of 

 mankind will note that many organizations that thrive 

 on the capital accumulated by other members of the 

 community, without an adequate return in productive, 

 labor, bear a significant resemblance to many of the 

 social parasites among ants. This resemblance has 

 been studied by sociologists, who have also been able 

 to point to detailed coincidences and analogies between 

 human and animal parasitism in general. Space and 

 the character of this work, of course, forbid a considera- 

 tion of the various parasitic or semiparasitic institutions 

 and organizations social, political, ecclesiastical, and 



