546 THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 



fly before this attack. The black men run for their lives. 

 Every animal that lives in their line of march is chased. They 

 seem to understand and act upon the tactics of Napoleon, and 

 concentrate, with great speed, their heaviest forces upon the 

 point of attack. In an incredibly short space of time the mouse, 

 or dog, or leopard, or deer, is overwhelmed, killed, eaten, and 

 the bare skeleton only remains. 



Thev seem to travel night and day. "Many a time," says 

 Du Chaillu, "have I been awakened out of a sleep and obliged 

 to rush from the hut and into the water to save my life, and after 

 all suffered intolerable agony from the bites of the advance-guard, 

 which had got into my clothes." When they enter a house they 

 clear it of all living things. Roaches are devoured in an instant. 

 Rats and mice spring round the room in vain. An overwhelming 

 force of ants kills a strong rat in less than a minute, in spite of 

 the most frantic struggles, and in less than another minute its 

 bones are stripped. Every living thing in the house is devoured. 

 They will not touch vegetable matter. Thus they are in reality 

 very useful (as well as dangerous) to the negroes, who have 

 their huts cleaned of all the abounding vermin, such as immense 

 roaches and centipedes, at least several times a year. 



When on their march the insect world flies before them. 

 Wherever they go they make a clean sweep, even ascending to 

 the tops of the highest trees in pursuit of their prey. Their 

 manner of attack is an impetuous leap. Instantly the strong 

 pincers are fastened, and they only let go when the piece gives 

 way. At such times this little animal seems animated by a kind 

 of fury which causes it to disregard entirely its own safety, and 

 to seek only the conquest of its prey. The bite is very painful. 



Two very remarkable practices of theirs remain to be related. 

 When, on their line of march, they must cross a stream, they 

 throw themselves across and form a tunnel a living tunnel 

 connecting two trees or high bushes on opposite sides of the little 

 stream. This is done with great speed, .and is effected by a great 

 number of ants, each of which clings with its fore-claws to its 

 next neighbor's body or hind-claws. Thus they form a high, 



