DEGRADATION OF STUONOYLOGXATHUS. 85 



i slavery, but how they procure the slaves is still a 



mystery. They fight in the same manner as Polyergus t 



but yet Schenk, Von Hagens, and Forel all agree that 



they are no match for the Tetramoriums, a courageous 



Bpecies, and one which lives in large communities. On 



>one occasion Forel brought a nest of Tetramorium 



i and put it down very near one of Strongylogna- 



\ thus testaceus with Tetramorium slaves. A battle at 



once commenced between the two communities. The 



Strongylognathus rushed boldly to the fight, but, 



\ though their side won the day, this was mainly due 



tto the slaves. The Strongylognathus themselves were 



I almost all killed ; and though the energy of their attack 



i seemed at first to disconcert their opponents, Forel 



assures us that they did not succeed in killing even a 



single Tetramorium. In fact, as Forel graphically 



observes, Strongylognathus is * une triste caricature ' 



-of Polyergus, and it seems almost impossible that by 



themselves they could successfully attack a nest of 



Tetramorium. Moreover, in Strongylognathus, the 



workers are comparatively few. Nevertheless, they are 



always found with the Tetramoriums, and in these 



mixed nests there are no males or females of Tetra- 



moriumj but only those of Strongylognathus. Again, 



the whole work of the nest is done by the slaves, 



though Strongylognathus has not, like Polyergus, 



entirely lost the power of feeding itself. 



But if the economy of Strongylognathus is an 

 enigma, that of Aner gates is still more mysterious. 



