FORMICIDJE ANTS. 147 



Concerning these remarkable Ants, Strabo and Arrian 

 have preserved the statement of Megasthenes, who traveled 

 in India about two centuries later than the time of Herodo- 

 tus. As given by Sirabo, who is somewhat more particular 

 in his story than Arrian, it is as follows : Megasthenes, 

 speaking of the Myrmeees (or Ants), says, among the Derdae, 

 a populous nation of the Indians, living toward the East 

 and among the mountains, there was a mountain ])lain of 

 about 3000 stadia in circumference; that below this plain 

 were mines containing gold, whieh the Myrmeees, in size 

 not less than foxes, dig up. They are excessively fleet, and 

 subsist on what they catch. In winter they dig holes and 

 pile up the earth in heaps, like moles, at the mouths of the 

 openings. The gold dust which they obtain requires little 

 preparation by fire. The neighboring people go after it by 

 stealth with beasts of burden ; for if it is done openly, the 

 Myrmeees fight furiously, pursuing those that run away, and, 

 if they seize them, kill them and the beasts. In order to 

 prevent discovery, they place in various parts pieces of the 

 flesh of wild beasts, and when the Myrmeees are dispersed 

 in various directions, they take away the gold dust, and, not 

 being acquainted with the mode of smelting it, dispose of 

 it in its rude state at any price to merchants.^ 



Xearchus says he has himself seen several of the skins of 

 these Ants, which were as large as the skins of leopards. 

 They were brought by the Macedonian soldiers into Alexan- 

 der's camp.^ 



Pliny, as a matter of course, believed this marvelous 

 story, and has inserted it in brief in his compilation of natu- 

 ral history. He adds, too, that in his time there were sus- 

 pended in the temple of Hercules, at Erythrse, this Ant's 

 horns, which were looked upon as quite miraculous for 

 their size. He also informs us it was of the color of a cat.^ 



Strabo and Arrian, from the manner in which they refer 

 to the statements of Megasthenes and Nearchus, no doubt 

 disbelieved them;"^ not so, however, Pomponius Mela.^ 



1 Strabo, Geog., B. xv. c. 1, \ 44. Hamilton's Trans., iii. 101. Cf. 

 Arrian's Ind.Hist., c. 15. Ptooke's Trans., ii. 211. 



2 Ibid. 



3 Pliny, Nat. Hist, B. xi. c. 31. Bost. and Riley's Trans., iii. 39. 

 * Ubi supra, and Strabo, B. xv. c. 1, ^ 37. 



5 Pomp., Vita Apollon. Tyan., B, vi. c. 1, 



