330 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 6 



other than an ant-hill, where some ants carry corn, 

 and some carry their young, and some go emp- 

 ty, and all to and fro around a liitle heap ol 

 dust." 



"Il" we wish to behold," says P. Huber, "reg-u- 

 lar armies wage war in all its Ibrms, we must visit 

 the forests in which the fallow ants esiablish their 

 dominion over every insect within their territory : 

 we shall there see populous and rival cities and 

 regular roads, diverging from the ant-hill like so 

 many radii from a centre, and frequented by an 

 immense number of combatants; wars between 

 hordes of the same species, for they are naturally 

 enemies, and jealous of any encroachment upon 

 the territory which surrounds their capital. It is 

 in these forests 1 have witnessed the inhabitants 

 of two large ant-hills engaged in a spirited com- 

 bat ; two empires could not have brought into the 

 field a more immerous or more determined body of 

 combatants. 



"Both armies met half-way from their respec- 

 tive habitations, and the battle commenced : thou- 

 sands of ants took their stations upon the highest 

 ground, and fought in pairs, keeping firm hold of 

 their antagonists by their mandibles ; while a con- 

 siderable number were engaged in the attack, 

 others were leading away prisoners; the latter 

 made several ineffectual endeavors to escape, as if 

 aware that upon reaching the camp a cruel death 

 awaited them. The field of battle occupied a 

 a space of about three feet square : a penetrating 

 odor exhaled on ali sides; and numbers of dead 

 ants were seen covered with venom. The ants 

 composing groups and chains laid hold of each 

 others legs and pincers, and dragged their an- 

 tagonists on the ground ; these groups formed suc- 

 cessively. The fight usuall)' commenced between 

 two ants, who seizing each other by the mandi- 

 bles raised themselves upon their hindlegs, to al- 

 low of their bringing their abdomen forward, and 

 spurting their venom upon their adversary : they 

 were frequendy so wedged together, that they feil 

 on their sides, and fought a long time in that situ- 

 ation in the dust: shortly afterward they raised 

 themselves,when each began dragging its adversa- 

 ry ; but when their force happened to be equal, 

 the wrestlers remainded immovable, and fixed 

 each other to the ground, until a third came to de 



remainded close to the armies, not a single com- 

 batant climbed up my legs. 



The ordinary operations of the two cities were 

 not suspended, ami in all the immediate vicinity 

 of the ant-hills order and peace prevailed ; on that 

 side on which the battle raged alone were seen 

 crowds of these insects running to and fro, some 

 to join the combatants, and some to escort the pris- 

 oners. This war terminated vvithout any disas- 

 trous results to either of the two republics; long- 

 continued rains shorteil its duration, and each band 

 of warriors ceased to frequent the road which led 

 to the enemy's camp." 



The astonishing part of this singular detail is, 

 the instinct which enables each ant to know its 

 own party. Of the same species, alike in form, 

 size, faculties and arms, it yet rarely happens that 

 two of the same side attack each other; and when 

 this takes place, says Ilubcr, "those which are the 

 objects of this temporary error caress their com- 

 panions with their antenn;e, and readily appease 

 their anger." We can comprehend the existence 

 of an instinct Avhich shall, at all times, cause an 

 animal to build its habitation after a distinct fash- 

 ion, but a spontaneous combination of faculties 

 seems to take place in the conduct of these wars. 

 The insects march, countermarch, take prisoners, 

 distinguish each other, retreat ; in short, do all that 

 man would do under similar circumstances. No- 

 thing like the fiatality of instinct is perceptible. 

 These wars were accidental, might never have 

 happened, and perhaps only happen in one com- 

 munity out of ten. Neither are they conducted 

 alike in all cases, but are obviously modified ac- 

 cording to the varying circumstances of time and 

 place. These A-ery fallow ants, when they attack 

 the sanguine ants, for example, adopt a system of 

 ambuscade and stratagem ; and the sanguine an's, 

 if too hardly pressed, send off a courier to their 

 ant-hill for farther assistance, and immediately, 

 says Huber, a considerable detachment leaves the 

 sanguine city, advances in a body, and surrounds 

 the enemy. 



That ants, being such determined warriors, 

 should occasionally have games of mimic war is 

 is not surprising. "I visited," says Huber, "one 

 of the fallow ant-hills, exposed to sun, and shel- 

 tered to the north : the ants were heaped on one 



cide the contest. It more commonly happened another, enjoying the temperature of the surface 



that both ants received assistance at the same of the nest ; none of them were at work. This 



time, when the whole four, keeping firm hold of a immense multitude of insects presented the ap- 



ioot or antenna, made ineffectual attempts to win pearance of a liquid in a state ebulition, upon 



the battle. In this way they sometimes formed 

 groups of six, eight, or ten, firmly locked all to- 

 gether ; the group was only broken, when several 

 warriors from the same republic advanced at the 

 same time, and compelled the enchained insects to 

 Jet go their hold, and then the single combats 

 were renewed: on the approach of night, each 

 party retired gradually to their own city. 



"On the following day, before dawn, the ants 

 returned to the field of battle — the groups again 

 formed — the carnage recommenced with greater 

 lury than on the preceding evening, and the scene 

 of combat occupied a space of six feet by two : 

 the event remained for a long time doubtful ; about 

 midday the contending armies had removed to the 

 distance of a dozen feet from one of their cities, 

 whence, I conclude, that some ground had been 

 gained : the ants fought so desperately, that they 

 did not even perceive my presence, and though I 



which the eye had some difficulty in resting : but 

 when I examined the conduct of each ant, I saw 

 them approach each other, moving their antense 

 with astonishing rapidity ; with slight movements 

 of their fore-feet they patted the lateral parts of 

 the head of the other ants. After these gestures, 

 resembling caresses, they were observed to raise 

 themselves on their hind-legs, by pairs struggle to- 

 gether, seize each other by a mandible, foot, oran- 

 tenna, and then immediately relax their hold to 

 recommence the attack. They fastened on the 

 thorax, or abdomen, embraced and overthrew 

 each other, then raise themselves by turns, taking 

 their revenge without producing any mischief. 

 They did not spurt forth their venom as in their 

 hostile combats, nor retain their adversary with 

 the obstinacy which they manifest in their serious 

 quarrels. I frequently visited this ant-hill, which 

 almost always presented the same spectaclej hut 



