164 THE MOST GIFTED INSECT RACE. 



entomological world, was showing me his collection of 

 insects. Among the ants was a singular group, so 

 " mixed " that its component parts could not be easily 

 discriminated without the aid of a magnifying-glass. 



The group was then seen to consist of two ants, a 

 worker Wood Ant, and a winged male of a smaller 

 species (Myrmica scabrinodes), much resembling the 

 common Garden Ant. The former had seized the latter, 

 and was carrying it off to its own nest, when its pro- 

 gress was interrupted by capture. Although itself a 

 prisoner, it did not loosen its hold, and even after both 

 insects had been killed by chloroform, it retained its 

 grasp. 



Not only do the jaws of some ants retain their grip 

 after death, but they continue to bite. They have a 

 kind of sawing movement, each jaw forcing itself alter- 

 nately into the wound, and causing quite as much pain 

 as if the creature were alive. In some parts of Brazil, 

 the natives make use of certain sickle-jawed ants as 

 extemporised sutures for wounds. They simply pinch 

 the edges of the wound together, and hold the ant to it. 

 The creature immediately bites at the obstacle, making its 

 jaws meet. The native surgeon pulls away the body, 

 leaving the head still adhering, and so proceeds until the 

 wound is firmly sewn together by the ants' jaws. Seven 

 or eight ant-heads are sometimes employed for a single 

 wound. 



Isolated combats do frequently take place, as in the 

 instance already recorded, and of such combats the 



