362 HISTORY OK 



But while they are thus employed in supporting the state 

 in feeding abroad, and carrying in provisions to those that con- 

 tinue at home, they are not unmindful of posterity. After a 

 few days of tine weather, the female ants begin to lay their eggs, 



Kilt. He saw them approacli in armies composed of their respective swarms, 

 and advancing- towards eacli other in the greatest order. The formica rufa 

 marched xvith one in front, on a line from nine to twelve feet in length, 

 flanked by several corps in square masses, composed of from twenty to sixty 

 individuals. The second species (little blacks), forming an army much more 

 numerous, marched to meet the enemy on a very extended liue, and from 

 one to three individuals abreast. They left a detachment at the foot of their 

 hillock to defend it against any unlooked-for attack. The rest of the army 

 marched to battle, with its right wing supported by a solid corps of several 

 hundred individuals, and the left a wing supported by a similar body of more 

 than a thousand. These groups advanced in the greatest order, and n ithout 

 changing their positions. The two lateral corps took no part in the principal 

 action. That of the right wing made a halt and formed an army of reserve ; 

 whilst the corps which marched iu column on the left ning manceuvred so 

 as to turn the hostile army, and advanced with a hurried march to the 

 liillock of the formica rufa, and took it by assault. 



Tlie two armies attacked each other and fought for a long time without 

 breaking their lines. At length disorder appeared in various points, and 

 the combat was maintained in detached groups ; and after a bloody battle, 

 which continued from three to four hours, the formica rufa were p\it to 

 flight, and forced to abandon their two hillocks, and go off to establish them, 

 selves at some other point with the remains of their army. 



The most interesting part of this exhibition, says M. Hanhart, was to see 

 these insects reciprocally making prisoners, and transporting their own 

 wounded to their hillocki. Tlieir devotedness to the wounded was carried 

 so far, that the formica rufa, in conveying them to their nests, allowed 

 themselves to be killed by the ^ttle blacks without any resistance, rather 

 than abandon their precious cliarge. 



From the observations of M. Huber, it is known that when an ant-hill- 

 ock is taken by the enemy, the vanquished are reduced to slavery, and em. 

 ployed in the interior labours of their habitation. 



The formica rufa or wood-ant is the largest of onr British ants. It ia 

 called the Hill-ant by Gould, the Fallow-ant by the English translator of 

 Huber, and popularly the Pismire. It invariably lives in or near woods and 

 forests. It may be readily distinguished from other ants by the dusky black 

 colour of its head and liinder parts, and the rusty brown of its middle. The 

 structures reai'ed by this species are often of considerable magnitude, and 

 bear no small resemblance to a rook's nest thrown upon the ground, bottom 

 upwards. 



The exterior of the nest is composed of almost every transportable mate- 

 rial which the colonists can find in their vicinity ; but the greater portion 

 consists of withered grass and short twigs of trees, piled up in apparent 

 confusion, but with suflicient regularity to render the whole smooth, coni- 

 cal, and sloping towards the base, for the purpose, we may infer, of carry. 



